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ReptileTerrestrialIntermediate
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Western Hingeback Tortoise
Kinixys nogueyi
Distributed across West Africa, this species inhabits dry savannas and scrublands. Once a subspecies, it is recognized for its adaptation to transitional, semi-arid habitats.
Class:Testudines
Order:Testudines
Family:Testudinidae
Genus:Kinixys
Species:Kinixys nogueyi
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
60 - 80 %
Day temperature
20 - 32 °C
Ambient temperature
20 - 32 °C
Night temperature
20.5 - 22.5 °C
Basking spot
32 - 34 °C
Adult size
20 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 300 L
UVB
High
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: This species is widely distributed across West Africa, ranging from Senegal and southern Mauritania eastward to Cameroon and the Central African Republic. It primarily inhabits dry savannas, transitional scrublands, and the dry borders of deciduous forests.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Classified in the family Testudinidae and the genus Kinixys, scientific name Kinixys nogueyi. It was historically treated as a western subspecies of Kinixys belliana. Modern molecular genetic analyses have established it as a distinct species, isolated by evolutionary and geographical barriers.
Behavior and Habits: Terrestrial and diurnal. It is a highly secretive tortoise that is mostly active during the morning, evening, or during rain showers. During the intense dry season, it undergoes aestivation, burying itself under leaf litter or in shallow burrows to survive extreme heat and drought.
Morphology: Features a somewhat flattened, elongated carapace measuring 15-20 cm in length. The shell is typically yellowish-brown or olive-green. The posterior portion of the carapace features a specialized cartilaginous hinge, allowing it to close the rear of the shell to protect its hind legs.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: An adult specimen requires a minimum indoor enclosure size of 150x80 cm. The substrate should be a well-draining mixture of topsoil, peat moss, and coco coir, topped with a thick layer of leaf litter. Provide multiple hiding areas using cork bark tubes and broad-leaf plants.
Lighting and Heating: Provide high-output (10%) UVB lighting. Maintain a daytime thermal gradient: a cool zone at 26-28°C (79-82°F) and a localized basking spot at 32-34°C (90-93°F). Nighttime temperatures should drop to a stable 20-22°C (68-72°F) to ensure a healthy metabolic rest.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain a relative humidity level of 50-70%. Lightly mist the enclosure daily with lukewarm water. A shallow, heavy water dish must be available at all times for drinking and soaking, as hydration is critical to prevent renal failure and dehydration.
Feeding and Supplementation: Omnivorous. Feed a diet of 70% leafy greens, weeds, dandelion, and high-fiber grasses, and 30% live invertebrates like earthworms, snails, and gut-loaded crickets. Dust food items with pure calcium at most feedings and a multivitamin with D3 weekly.
Compatibility: Best housed individually due to their timid nature. Multiple females can be housed together in a very large enclosure, but never house two males together as they will aggressively fight. Do not mix with other tortoise species to prevent disease transmission.
Health and Common Diseases: Wild-caught imports often carry heavy parasite loads and require immediate veterinary screening. Prone to respiratory infections if exposed to cold drafts. Shell rot can develop if they are kept on a perpetually wet and unhygienic substrate.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
This species is widely distributed across West Africa, ranging from Senegal and southern Mauritania eastward to Cameroon and the Central African Republic. It primarily inhabits dry savannas, transitional scrublands, and the dry borders of deciduous forests.
Origin
Africa and Madagascar
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 20 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 20 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 20 cm for this species, recorded as straight carapace length (SCL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
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Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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