PERFORMANCE INDICES AND WATER CONSUMPTION OF TORTOISE (KINIXYX EROSA, SCHWEIGGER, 1812) FED BOILED UNRIPE PLANTAIN UNDER DIFFERENT WATERING REGIME IN CAPTIVITY

This experiment was carried out using a total of 16 tortoises (Kinixys erosa) weighing between 172.5g and 180g to determine their performance indices and water consumption of tortoise fed unripe boiled plantain mixed with palm oil under different watering regime in captivity. The tortoises were randomly divided into four Treatments with four replicates such that there was one animal per replicate. Treatment 1 was 24 hours (0700-0700 hr) watering, Treatment 2 was 12 hour “day” (07000-1900 hr) watering, and Treatment 3 was 12 hour “night” (1900-0700) watering and Treatment 4 was 6 hour “afternoon”. The experimental period lasted for 9 weeks. The proximate composition of boiled unripe plantain was determined. The mean weekly weight (g) change for Treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 1.3, 2.5, 4.0 and 0.5 respectively. The mean feed consumption (g) of the tortoises for Treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 9.73, 9.92, 9.63 and 9.55 respectively and were not significantly (p > 0.05) different. The mean FCE for Treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 0.03, 0.26, 0.48 and 0.02 respectively and were not significantly (p >0.05) different. The mean weekly water intake (ml) for Treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 10.11, 9.68, 9.55 and 9.98 respectively and were also not significantly (p > 0.05) different. The mean weekly feed to water ratio for Treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 0.985, 1.035, 1.014 and 0.980 respectively and they were not significantly (p > 0.05) different. The mean Dressing Percentage of the tortoises was 24.46, 24.18, 26.43 and 26.2 for Treatments 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively.