Tortoise (Galapagos Tortoise by RSN)

[csleesburg]

Galapagos Tortoise

Zoo Admin

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Creator: RSN

Keywords: Real Animals

Originally Released Jan 18th 04 at Zoo Admin
Current Galapagos tortoise.ztd dated 18 January 2004

File Size: 297.2 KB

Compatibility: ZT CC

Description: The Galapagos tortoise is the largest living tortoise. It can weigh over 500 pounds and measure 6 feet from head to tail. It is a very slow-moving animal, moving only 0.16 miles per hour. The Galapagos tortoise has a very large shell made of bone. The shell can be domed, saddle-backed, or somewhere in between. Domed shells are found on tortoises that live in areas with lush vegetation. Saddle-back shells allow the tortoise to reach vegetation higher off the ground. This shell is more common in areas with less vegetation.

The Galapagos tortoise is an herbivore that eats prickly pear cactus and fruits, bromeliads, water ferns, leaves, and grasses. They have tremendous water storage capacities, enabling them to survive the long arid season.

The Galapagos tortoise is found on the Galapagos Islands just west of Ecuador in South America. Spanish explorers, because of the 250,000 tortoises that inhabited the island, named the islands Galapagos (Spanish for tortoise). Today only 15,000 are left.

The social structure of the Galapagos tortoise is a dominance hierarchy based on the height to which the tortoise can stretch its head.

The Galapagos tortoise matures at 20-25 years of age. Compared to most tortoises, the birth rate of Galapagos tortoises is extremely low. Most tortoises can lay hundreds of eggs at a time. However, the Galapagos tortoise only lays between 2 and 16 eggs. These eggs are laid in a hole dug by the mother. Then they are buried for incubation. The mother leaves, and the eggs hatch 4-8 months later. It takes the baby tortoises one month to dig out of the nest.

Info by : Jack Hannah Jr. These animals will add interest to any zoo.

[fern]

Additional info:

Galapagos tortoise.ztd                             uca: A83FD0C9 dated 18 January 2004

Results From Configuration Checking:

animals/a83fd0c9.uca date: Sun Jan 18 11:34:30 2004
***** Error: cSwims is not 0 but there is no [AmbientAnimsWater] section.
*** Warning: The [] section is unnecessary and could be removed.
*** Warning: Terrain sum does not equal 100.
*** Warning: Sum of family, genus, and animal id/type values are < 0.
*** Warning: uca/ai file contains the word 'Undefined'.
*** Warning: BehaviorSet sections contain duplicate lines.
Animal Type: A83FD0C9

Galapagos tortoise

The Galapagos tortoise is the largest living tortoise. It can weigh over 500
pounds and measure 6 feet from head to tail. It is a very slow-moving animal,
moving only 0.16 miles per hour. The Galapagos tortoise has a very large shell
made of bone. The shell can be domed, saddle-backed, or somewhere inbetween.
Domed shells are found on tortoises that live in areas with lush vegetation.
Saddle-back shells allow the tortoise to reach vegetation higher off the
ground. This shell is more common in areas with less vegetation.
    (plus 4 other paragraphs)

Animal Characteristics:

Habitat: Rainforest; Location: South America
Minimum happiness needed for chance of breeding: 96.
Preferred shelter: Large Stable.
Animal can swim in water terrain.

Exhibit Preferences:

Foliage:
Ulmo Tree, Mangrove Tree, Elephant Ear Tree, Bamboo, Foxtail Palm Tree
Western Larch Tree, Llala Palm Tree, Rainforest Bush, Rainforest Fern
Orchid Tree, Water Lily, Water Reed, Paper Birch Tree, Kapok Tree
Himalayan Birch Tree, Western Juniper Tree, Himalayan Pine Tree, Sage Bush
Broadleaf Bush, Thouarsus Cycad Tree (DD), Bald Cypress Tree (DD)
Fern Bush (DD), Horsetail (DD), Leptocycas Tree (DD), Monkey Puzzle Tree (DD)
Williamsonia Tree (DD), Sea Anemone (MM), Barnacles (MM), Beach Grass (MM)
Brittle Sea Star (MM), Clam Bed (MM), Orange Cup Coral (MM)
Divercate Tree Coral (MM), Feather Duster Worm (MM), Fire Coral (MM)
Kelp (MM), Sea Lettuce (MM), Red Gorgonian (MM), Sargassum (MM)
Sand Dollar (MM), Sea Cucumber (MM), Sea Star (MM), Seaweed (MM)
Sea Grass (MM), Sea Sponge (MM), Stove Pipe Sponge (MM), Tube Worm (MM)
Purple Sea Urchin (MM), Fallen Rainforest Tree (ES), Rainforest Stump (ES)
Rafflesia (ES), Giant Ficus Tree (ES), Durian Tree (ES)

Rocks:
Large Rock, Small Rock - Medium, Small Rock - Small, Stone Ruins
Highland Rock - Large, Rainforest Rock - Formation, Medium Highland Rock (DD)
Medium Aquatic Rock (DD), Small Ocean Floor Rock (MM)
Medium Coral Formation (MM), Large Ocean Floor Rock (MM)
Medium Ocean Floor Rock (MM), Large Coral Formation (MM), Iceberg (MM)
Isle Rock (MM), Mossy Rainforest Rock (ES), Limestone Rock (ES)

Other specifically liked items:
Waterfall Rock - Formation, Tank Filter (MM)

Exhibit Construction:

Number of animals allowed per exhibit: 3-15 with 50 squares for each adult.

Exhibit size (for 3 adults): 150 grid squares

Terrain (for exhibit with 150 grid squares):
66 Rainforest Floor, 17 Dirt, 24 Grass, 17 Gray Stone, 24 Fresh Water
2 Waterfall

Foliage (for exhibit with 150 grid squares):
30 grid squares should contain foliage.
Foliage that would give the most happiness: Ulmo Tree
Since this is a small plant, greatest happiness will occur
if each of the 30 grid squares contains 4 of this plant.

Rocks (for exhibit with 150 grid squares):
3 Mossy Rainforest Rock (ES), which is its most liked rock.

Elevation: Of the 150 squares, 3 nonadjacent squares should be elevated.