Spider tortoise
Spider tortoise | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Testudines |
Suborder: | Cryptodira |
Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
Family: | Testudinidae |
Genus: | Pyxis |
Species: | P. arachnoides
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Binomial name | |
Pyxis arachnoides Bell, 1827
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Synonyms[3] | |
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The spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) is a
Habitat
The remaining tortoises are found only in south western Madagascar, where they inhabit the spiny vegetation of the sandy coastal areas.
Life cycle and breeding
Very little is known about the life cycle of this endangered tortoise, which is believed to live for up to 70 years.[5] Here they feed on young leaves, insect larvae, and even the droppings of larger animals. When the wet season arrives, the dormancy period ends and the tortoises begin to mate. Females only lay one egg when they reproduce, and the egg is incubated for about 220–250 days.
Conservation
Their trade is illegal in Madagascar, but they are extensively smuggled[6] for food, body parts, and illegal pets.[5]
References
- . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ISSN 1864-5755.
- ISBN 978-3929449037.
- ^ . Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ "Malagasy Frontier Police seize Indonesia-bound shipment of 'world's rarest' tortoises - Wildlife Trade News from TRAFFIC".