Reptile
Flat-backed spider tortoise Facts
Pyxis planicauda
Flat-backed spider tortoise Facts at a Glance
It belongs to the family Testudinidae in the order Testudines. This profile is designed as a concise starting point; the source names below document the review basis.
Flat-backed spider tortoise Conservation Status
Flat-backed spider tortoise is listed here as Critically Endangered. Protecting habitat, maintaining healthy prey or food sources, and reducing human pressure are important parts of conserving wild populations.
Quick facts
Fun facts
- During the cooler dry season the flat-backed spider tortoise enters a stage similar to hibernation known as aestivation, the species buries itself and lies dormant.
- It is concentrated between the Monrondava and Tsirbihina rivers.
- The forests inhabited by the flat-backed spider tortoise grow on loose sandy soils and the tortoises take shelter amongst the leaf litter of the forest floor during their inactive seasons.
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Sources and image credit
Animal facts are reviewed against the references below. The photograph remains available under the stated license.