Aspects of the ecology of the tortoise Kinixys nogueyi (Lataste, 1886) in Togo and Nigeria (West Africa)

Abstract

In this study, the sex ratio, habitat use, and diet of free-ranging Kinixys nogueyi are examined. Sex ratio and habitat use were examined in Togo and Nigeria (West Africa), and food habits only in Nigeria. Sex ratios were equal in both populations. Tortoises had clear habitat preferences in both countries, and the Nigerian population exhibited seasonal but not inter-sexual differences in habitat selection. The present study demonstrated that this species inhabits not only Guinea savannahs and relatively wet savannahs, as already reported in the literature, but also rainforest patches and hilly forests, especially in Togo. Food remains in the feces of Nigerian specimens belonged to plants and fungi as well as to animals, with inter-seasonal but not inter-sexual differences in dietary composition. In particular, there was a significant shift from a diet based mostly on animal food in the dry season towards a mainly vegetarian diet in the wet season.