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Endemic to the spiny forests of southern Madagascar, the dainty Spider Tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) is the smallest of the island’s five tortoise species – with shell lengths of only 10-12 cm it can comfortably sit in the palm of your hand. Like most of its close relatives it is Critically Endangered, having suffered greatly in recent years from habitat loss (clearing, wildfires, and invasive plants), hunting for food, and poaching for the pet trade. One reason they are so vulnerable to threats is because of their extremely slow reproduction rate: despite a lifespan of up to 70 years a female will usually lay only a single egg at a time which can take over 8 months of incubating before hatching. Amboasary, Madagascar.

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© Chien C. Lee
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Contained in galleries
Critically Endangered, Reptiles, Madagascar
Endemic to the spiny forests of southern Madagascar, the dainty Spider Tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) is the smallest of the island’s five tortoise species – with shell lengths of only 10-12 cm it can comfortably sit in the palm of your hand. Like most of its close relatives it is Critically Endangered, having suffered greatly in recent years from habitat loss (clearing, wildfires, and invasive plants), hunting for food, and poaching for the pet trade. One reason they are so vulnerable to threats is because of their extremely slow reproduction rate: despite a lifespan of up to 70 years a female will usually lay only a single egg at a time which can take over 8 months of incubating before hatching. Amboasary, Madagascar.