Spencer Cooper, Golf Course Superintendent of The Links, spotted a Bowsprit tortoise (Chersina angulate) while crossing the cart path between hole five and nine of The Links.
This medium-sized tortoise is known for its fast walking and can be found close to the coast. It is unique among South African tortoises in having a single unpaired gular (extension of the ventral plastron), that is used to ram and overturn rival specifics. This behaviour has earned it the reputation of a fighting tortoise.
Also found on The Links golf course, the Leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is the most widely distributed tortoise in Southern Africa. Sometimes known as the mountain tortoise, they are found throughout the savannahs of Africa, from Sudan to the Southern Cape. A Leopard tortoise can grow large and to sustain their shell-building, they need to consume a fair amount of calcium. Being entirely herbivorous, they find this solely in grasses and shrubs.
Johan Marais, author of the book ‘What’s that Reptile’ explains that contrary to what people believe, golf courses can be beneficial to wildlife. "As golf courses become older and more established, one automatically sees more animals taking up residence there. Those with ’green’ spaces, such as The Links, are sure to provide a welcome sanctuary for many small animals and bird species in the years to come".
Neither the Angulate or Leopard tortoise are endangered in terms of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but both are threatened and listed by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). This means they may not be captured or kept without the necessary permits, nor may wild tortoises be exported from South Africa".
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Spencer Cooper, golf course superintendent of The Links, spotted a Bowsprit tortoise (Chersina angulate) while crossing the cart path between hole five and nine of The Links.
