INTRODUCTION
When individuals display site fidelity, they may attempt to return to
their home range following displacement (Ward 2013). This inherent
ability by an animal to return home once displaced from a familiar site
to an unfamiliar one is called homing (Avens et al. 2003) and is
conceived as an aspect of home fidelity (Xiao et al. 2020). Homing
behavior has fascinated biologists and lovers of nature alike over the
centuries prompting investigations into the mechanisms that make this
behavior possible in different animals. Site fidelity, or the tendency
of animals to reutilize or return to a previously occupied area has
great implication on the animal’s ability to access resources that
increase their fitness and survival (Giuggioli and Bartumeus 2011). Site
fidelity has been traditionally associated to territorialism and other
behaviors that result in the emergence of a home range (Switzer 1993;
Giuggioli et al. 2006 Borger et al. 2008). Territoriality aims at
excluding conspecifics from certain areas through the use of auditory,
visual or olfactory signals as well as aggressive interactions
(Giuggioli et al. 2011).
Early studies on home range, homing ability, territorial behavior and
migration mostly focused on birds, fishes and mammals (Cagle 1944). Over
the years, however, notable advances have been made in reptiles,
specifically so on site fidelity and homing in sea turtles (Endres et
al. 2016). While a handful of studies have investigated on homing and
site fidelity in freshwater turtles (e.g. Emlen 1969; Xiao et al. 2020),
very few exist on land tortoises, mainly limited to the Herman’s
tortoise (Testudo hermanni ) and the Genus Gopherus .
A notable study by Chelazzi and Francisci (1979) discovered homing
behavior in Testudo hermanni. Chelazzi and Delfino (1986) further
investigated on the use of olfactory cues by the species during its
homing. On Gopher tortoises, Cannor (1996) studied homing in theGopherus polyphemus discovering homing ability in the species but
only when displaced over relatively short distances, with higher
probabilities of reaching their home range rather than their specific
home burrow. More recently, Hinderle et al. (2015) investigated on the
effects of homing and movement behaviors on translocation in Agassiz’s
desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii ) in the Western Mojave
Desert. Such studies are important as they give insight into how the
animals use their environment and thus will inform sound conservation
and management strategies for the species (Passadore et al. 2017).
In light of this, we did an investigation on the homing behavior, site
fidelity and territoriality of the Pancake tortoise within its natural
habitats in Kitui County, Kenya. Pancake tortoise is one of the most
thrilling species of land tortoises, with a unique flat morphology and
soft shell (Malonza 2003) as well as distinct habitat and behavior. It
inhabits rock crevices common in the typical rock outcrop and kopje
dominated savannas of Kenya, Tanzania and northern Zambia (Chansa and
Wagner 2006). The species is listed in CITES Appendix I and categorized
as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red list of Threatened species
owing to declining populations as a result of illegal collection for
international trade and habitat loss. Our findings thus bring to light
another ecological dimension that has not been studied before but is
very necessary for successful management and conservation of the
species.