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Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise

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Extinct species of tortoise

Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise

Engraving of the only taxidermy specimen
Conservation status
Extinct (around 1800) (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	†Cylindraspis
Species:	†C. vosmaeri
Binomial name
†Cylindraspis vosmaeri Suckow, 1798
Synonyms^[2]
Testudo indica vosmaeri Suckow, 1798 ?Testudo rotunda Latreille, 1801 ?Chersine rotunda —Merrem, 1820 Testudo vosmaeri —Fitzinger, 1826 Geochelone (Cylindraspis) vosmaeri — Fitzinger, 1835 ?Geochelone (Geochelone) rotunda — Fitzinger, 1835 Cylindraspis vosmaeri — Fitzinger, 1843 Testudo rodericensis Günther, 1873 Testudo commersoni Vaillant, 1898 Testudo commersonii Siebenrock, 1909 (ex errore) Geochelone commersoni —Pritchard, 1967 Cylindraspis commersonii —Wilms, 1999

Thesaddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise (Cylindraspis vosmaeri) is anextinct species ofgiant tortoise in thefamily Testudinidae. The species wasendemic toRodrigues. Human exploitation caused the extinction of this species around 1800.^[3]

Etymology

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Thespecific name,vosmaeri, is in honor of Dutch naturalistArnout Vosmaer (1720–1799).^[4]

Taxonomy

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BothCylindraspis vosmaeri and its smaller domed relative,Cylindraspis peltastes, were descended from an ancestral species on Mauritius (an ancestor ofCylindraspis inepta), which colonised Rodrigues by sea many millions of years ago, and then gradually differentiated into the two Rodrigues species.

Description

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The saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise was an exceptionally tall species of giant tortoise, with a long, raised neck and an upturned carapace, which gave it a giraffe-like body shape almost similar to that of asauropod dinosaur.

It lived by browsing the taller vegetation, while its much smaller relative, thedomed Rodrigues giant tortoise, grazed on low vegetation such as fallen leaves and grasses.

The saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise was described by early colonists as a docile, gentle browser, with a tendency to gather in large herds, especially in the evening. An early Huguenot settler, in 1707, described the unusual group behaviour of these animals:

"There's one thing very odd among them; they always place sentinels, at some distance from the troop at the four corners of the camp, to which the sentinels turn their backs, and look with their eyes, as if they were on watch. This we have always observed of them; and this mystery seems the more difficult to be comprehended, for that these creatures are incapable to defend themselves..." (Leguat, 1707)^[5]

Behaviour and ecology

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It has subsequently been discovered that the browsing herds of giant tortoises filled an essential role in the ecosystem of Rodrigues and the regeneration of its forests. Among other roles, the giant tortoises ensured the dispersal and germination of tree seeds, as well as "terraforming" the island by maintaining forest clearings and pools.

In recognition of this fact, measures have been undertaken to introduce replacement species, in the form of similar giant tortoises from other parts of the world, to assist in the rebuilding of Rodrigues' devastated environment. The replacement species for the saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise was chosen to be theAldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) of the Seychelles, which is roughly similar in size, though very different in body form.^[6]

Extinction

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Photo of the only taxidermy specimen,Muséum d'histoire naturelle

At the time of the arrival of human settlers, dense giant tortoise herds of many thousands were reported on Rodrigues. Typically for isolated island species, they were reported to have been friendly, curious, and unafraid of humans.

However, in the ensuing years, massive harvesting and exporting for food and the introduction ofinvasive species rapidly exterminated the giant tortoises. Tentative conservation efforts began in the 18th century, with the French Governor Mahé de Labourdonnais attempting to legislate against the "tortoise plundering" of Rodrigues. However, the wholesale slaughter continued. Hundreds of thousands were loaded into ships' holds for food, or to be transported to Mauritius where they were burnt for fat and oil. Due to their unusually thin shells, many died from crushing as they were densely stacked in the holds of ships.

In the final years, only smaller specimens were found, lingering in isolated mountainous refuges inland. A surviving giant tortoise was reported on the island in 1795, found at the bottom of a ravine. As late as 1802, there is a mention of survivors reportedly being killed in the large fires used to clear the island's vegetation for agriculture, but it is not clear which one of the two Rodrigues species these were, and which one survived the longest.^[7]

References

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^World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996)."Cylindraspis vosmaeri".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.1996 e.T6065A12391587.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T6065A12391587.en. Retrieved14 November 2021.
^Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007)."Checklist of Chelonians of the World".Vertebrate Zoology.57 (2):278–279.doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895.ISSN 1864-5755.S2CID 87809001.
^Pedrono, Miguel; Griffiths, Owen L.; Clausen, Alison; Smith, Lora L.; Griffiths, Christine J.; Wilmé, Lucienne; Burney, David A. (2013)."Using a surviving lineage of Madagascar's vanished megafauna for ecological restoration".Biological Conservation.159:501–506.Bibcode:2013BCons.159..501P.doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.11.027.
^Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011).The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp.ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Cylindraspis vosmaeri, p. 276).
^Leguat de la Fougère, François (1707-78).Voyage et avantures de François Leguat & de ses compagnons en deux îles déserte des Indes Orientales. Amsterdam: J.J. de Lorme. 2 vols. (in French).
^Cheke A, Hume J (2008).Lost Land of the Dodo: An Ecological History of Mauritius, Réunion & Rodrigues. London: T & AD Poyser.
^"Recently Extinct Animals - Species Info - Saddle-backed Rodrigues Giant Tortoise". Archived fromthe original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved2014-12-31.

External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toCylindraspis vosmaeri.

Rodrigues Saddle-backed Tortoise - The Extinction Website

Taxon identifiers
Cylindraspis vosmaeri	Wikidata:Q899796 Wikispecies:Cylindraspis vosmaeri GBIF:5789430 ITIS:949461 IUCN:6065 NCBI:180178 Open Tree of Life:302069 Paleobiology Database:377729

Tortoise family

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Reptilia
Subclass:Anapsida
Order:Testudines
Suborder:Cryptodira
Superfamily:Testudinoidea
Family:Testudinidae

Genera

Species of thetortoise family

Agrionemys

Russian tortoise

Angulate tortoise

†Hadrianus

†Hesperotestudo percrassa

Pancake tortoise

Leopard tortoise

†Stylemys

Testudo

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based onturtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Key: †=extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Reptilia
Clade:Diapsida
Order:Testudines

Genus

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra