Homopus areolatus
Silhouette: Andrew A. Farke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Homopus areolatus, commonly known as the common padloper or parrot-beaked tortoise, is a tiny species of tortoise of the genus Homopus, indigenous to the southern part of South Africa. Homopus areolatus is known by a wide range of common names. In its native region in southern Africa (and in much of the scientific community) it is usually known as the common padloper due to its being by far the most commonly occurring of all the Homopus ("padloper") species.
It is also commonly known as the parrot-beaked tortoise, due to the relatively large beak that the males of the species possess. Other names include the older name of beaked Cape tortoise, as well as areolated tortoise. The latter name refers to its species name "areolatus", and describes the raised rings around the scutes of its shell.
The common padloper is a small, rather flat tortoise. Its shell usually has varied colouration, ranging between olive-green and brown. The shields of the carapace are flat, with large raised areolae, and a thin black edging.
Like its larger relative, the greater padloper, and unlike the other padlopers, it has only four toes on its front feet, as well as its hind... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Parrot-beaked Tortoise sighting in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 88 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 41 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Parrot-beaked Tortoise in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, against about 10% in December to October, the lowest months. That is one of Table Mountain National Park's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain against 110 mm in June.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Parrot-beaked Tortoise sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Parrot-beaked Tortoise sightings, Table Mountain National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Garden Route National Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Testudinidae
The closest relatives of the Parrot-beaked Tortoise that you can see in Table Mountain National Park (family Testudinidae, Tortoises) are Angulate Tortoise (about 30%) and Leopard Tortoise (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Parrot-beaked Tortoise is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Table Mountain National Park (88 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
