Tortoises & Terrapins Of The Nairobi National Park

With the recent heavy rains, although the park was very wet and muddy, it has been possible to see more of the creatures that are not normally seen. While driving along I saw a movement in the middle of the road, it was a Serrated Hinged Terrapin, the largest of the hinged terrapins. They grow between 30 and 50cm long, females are usually larger than males. What I also found amazing, was that it has beautiful blue eyes, actually quite a cool feature for a reptile! The terrapin continued to walk across the muddy road and onwards into a large puddle next to the road, found throughout East Africa, they are one of the most common terrapin species. They lounge mostly on logs and rocks, they have also been found riding on the backs of hippopotamuses! Serrated Hinged Terrapins are so named because they have a hinged shell that they are able to close after pulling their head and front legs inward.

Just to understand a little more, Terrapins are a kind of “land turtle” found in fresh or brackish water, while turtles are found in seawater, and tortoises are just found on land.  And just to make things a little more interesting scientifically, tortoises, terrapins and turtles are related and are all reptiles with bony or cartilaginous shells. They belong to the taxonomic order of Testudines or Chelonii which comes from the Greek word ‘khelone’, meaning interlocking shields or armour. Interestingly their shell contains nerves, so they are quite receptive to feeling through their shells. For example, they can feel the pressure of weight on their shells and will experience pain if their shell is broken or cracked.

Terrapins are predominantly carnivores feeding on a variety of creatures, including snails, molluscs, insects, frogs, and fish, and have been known to eat ticks and parasites off of wallowing water buffalo. They also eat vegetation such as algae and other aquatic plants. They may look cute and cuddly (for an amphibian) but you need to be careful of their incredibly sharp claws, which come handy for hunting and defending against predator attacks. Typically they will only use this defensive strategy when hiding in the shell doesn’t seem to be working. These interesting creatures need to be on the lookout for numerous predators. During their lifetime, the Terrapins are preyed upon by crocodiles, monitor lizards and the mongoose. Their hard shell is slightly streamlined yet also slightly domed (like tortoises). Even though they can swim, they don’t have flippers like a turtle, but rather legs similar to tortoises. You could say that they are like a mix between a turtle and tortoise. Unlike turtles and tortoises, terrapins remain relatively small. However, there are some giant species of terrapin out there, such as the snapping turtle in America. Terrapins are aggressive and will bite. They have incredibly sharp claws and a powerful snapping jaw. Although they do not have teeth, they can easily take a finger off with a single chomp.

Tortoises live exclusively on dry land and are usually found in hot, dry environments. Their shells are not streamlined like marine turtles but are instead shaped like a dome, and they have column-shaped feet with claws. They are not good swimmers, but will occasionally enter bodies of water (such as at a waterhole or even a puddle) to clean themselves or drink water. Even though they are known to eat a small amount of meat, tortoises are mainly herbivorous, primarily eating low-lying shrubs, cacti, grasses, weeds, fruit, and other forms of vegetation. At times tortoises are threatened by predators such as lions or leopards, and young lions also seemingly play with them like a kind of ball. However, they have a defensive strategy in that they can withdraw deep into their shell, and will stay there until they sense it is safe to come out again. Interestingly the phrase “cone out of your shell” regarding human reserved shyness comes from observing tortoise behaviour.

So next time you visit the park, be on the lookout for unusual sightings, like tortoises and terrapins. The Nairobi National Park has many hidden created wonders waiting to be revealed to those who are prepared to seek them.