One of the 41 turtles and tortoises on WAnimals
Reptiles · Testudines · Testudinidae
Pancake Tortoise
Malacochersus tornieri
It faces an extremely high risk of imminent extinction in the wild. See full glossary
The pancake tortoise, also known as the crevice tortoise, is a flat-shelled tortoise of the family Testudinidae native to Tanzania and Kenya. Its range may extend into Zambia according to Chansa and Wagner (2006). Its name comes from the flat shape of its shell and it is the only member of the genus Malacochersus.
Weight
400 g – 700 g
Size
15 cm – 18 cm
Lifespan
35 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Very hard
Fun facts
- Its shell is flat and flexible, with openings in the bony structure: it slips into narrow rock crevices and once inside inflates itself against the walls, so that no predator can pull it out.
- It is the only land tortoise that runs and climbs with agility: its lightness lets it move far faster than any other tortoise of its size, and its first line of defence is to run for the nearest crevice.
- It lays a single egg at a time, although it may do so several times a season, one of the lowest reproductive rates of any land tortoise.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a shell (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Rocky outcrops and granite hills of the arid savannas of Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia
- Size at birth
- About 4 cm of carapace on hatching
- Sexual maturity
- 5 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 180 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 egg
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacochersus_tornieri
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round on the rocky outcrops of Kenya and Tanzania, in mid-morning; faced with danger it wedges itself into the crevices and inflates so that it cannot be pulled out.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 14 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Pancake Tortoise — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Common Tortoise
Testudo graeca
African Spurred Tortoise
Centrochelys sulcata
Dama Gazelle
Nanger dama
Leopard Tortoise
Stigmochelys pardalis
Helmeted Turtle
Pelomedusa subrufa
Black-necked Spitting Cobra
Naja nigricollis
How to help
The pancake tortoise is classified as critically endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 9 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about pancake tortoise.
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