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Pancake tortoise

January 01, 1970

The pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) is a species of flat-shelled tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to Tanzania and Kenya. There are also small populations in northern Zambia.[4] Its common name refers to the flat shape of its shell.

Pancake tortoise
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Testudinidae
Genus: Malacochersus
Lindholm, 1929
Species:
M. tornieri
Binomial name
Malacochersus tornieri
(Siebenrock, 1903)
Synonyms[3]
  • Testudo tornieri
    Siebenrock, 1903
  • Testudo loveridgii
    Boulenger, 1920
  • Malacochersus torneiri [sic]
    Paull, 1997
    (ex errore)
  • Malacochersus tornieri
    — Mertens, L. Müller & Rust, 1934
  • Malacochersus loveridgei [sic]
    Pritchard, 1967
    (ex errore)

Etymology edit

Both the specific name, tornieri, and an alternate common name, Tornier's tortoise, are in honor of German zoologist Gustav Tornier.[5]

Taxonomy edit

Malacochersus tornieri is the only member of its genus.[3]

Description edit

The pancake tortoise has an unusually thin, flat, flexible shell, which is up to 17.8 centimetres (7.0 in) long.[6][7] While the shell bones of most other tortoises are solid, the pancake tortoise has shell bones with many openings, making it lighter and more agile than other tortoises.[8] On the rear of its shell, it has a highly ossified lump that is different from the rest of its bone structure.[9] The carapace (top shell) is brown, frequently with a variable pattern of radiating dark lines on each scute (shell plate), helping to camouflage the tortoise in its natural dry habitat.[6][8][10] The plastron (bottom shell) is pale yellow with dark brown seams and light yellow rays,[10] and the head, limbs and tail are yellow-brown.[6] Its bizarre, flattened, pancake-like profile makes this tortoise a sought-after animal in zoological and private collections, leading to its over-exploitation in the wild.[11]

Distribution and habitat edit

An East African species, M. tornieri is native to southern Kenya and northern and eastern Tanzania,[10] and an introduced population may also occur in Zimbabwe.[1] The species has also been reported in Zambia.[12] It is found on hillsides with rocky outcrops (known as kopjes) in arid thorn scrub and savanna, from 100 to 6,000 feet (30 to 1800 metres) above sea level.[7][10][13] The species inhabits the Somalia-Masai floristic region, an arid semi-desert characterized by Acacia-Commiphora bushland and Brachystegia woodland in upland localities.[14][15] It occurs in dry savannah of low altitude at small rocky hills of the crystalline basement.

Ecology and behaviour edit

 
Captive pancake tortoise in rock crevice

Pancake tortoises live in isolated colonies, with many individuals sharing the same kopje, or even crevice.[10] Males fight for access to females during the mating season, in January and February, with large males tending to get the most chances to mate.[6][10] Nesting in the wild seems to occur in July and August, although clutches are produced year-round in captivity. The female digs a nest cavity about 7.5 to 10 cm deep in loose, sandy soil.[6] Usually only one egg is laid at a time, but a female can lay multiple eggs over the course of a single season, with eggs appearing every four to eight weeks.[6][8] In captivity, the incubation of the eggs lasts from four to six months,[10] and young are independent as soon as they hatch.[16] Wild and captive specimens often bask and, although they do not appear to hibernate, there are reports that they may aestivate beneath flat rocks during the hottest months.[6][8]

Most activity occurs during the morning hours or in the late afternoon and early evening. The diet primarily consists of dry grasses and vegetation. The pancake tortoise is a fast and agile climber, and is rarely found far from its rocky home so that, if disturbed, it can make a dash for the nearest rock crevice.[6] Since this tortoise could easily be torn apart by predators, it must rely on its speed and flexibility to escape from dangerous situations, rather than withdrawing into its shell.[10] The flexibility of its shell allows the pancake tortoise to crawl into narrow rock crevices to avoid potential predators,[6] thus exploiting an environment that no other tortoise is capable of using.[11] There are two hypotheses about how the pancake tortoise is able to wedge itself in rock crevices: The first is that it presses its ossified lump to the ceiling of the rock crevice using its hind legs, or it 'inflates' an unossified portion in the plastron with air.[17]

Threats and conservation edit

The greatest threats facing the pancake tortoise are habitat destruction and its over-exploitation by the pet trade.[13] Given the low reproductive rate of this tortoise, populations that have been harvested may take a long time to recover. Commercial development diminishes the amount of suitable habitat for pancake tortoises, which already is neither common nor extensive.[11] Tortoises in Kenya are threatened by clearance of thorn scrub for conversion to agriculture and in Tanzania by over-grazing of goats and cattle.[13]

The pancake tortoise is classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List and listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).[1][13] In 1981, Kenya banned the export of the pancake tortoise unless given written permission by the Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources. Tanzania protects this species under the Wildlife Conservation (National Game) Order, 1974,[13] and it is protected within the Serengeti National Park.[8] The European Union banned the import of the pancake tortoise in 1988, but trade with EU members continues, with several countries having reported importing the species.[13] The pancake tortoise has been bred in captivity and is now the subject of a coordinated breeding programme in European zoos.[16]

References edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Malacochersus tornieri.

This article incorporates text from the ARKive fact-file "Pancake tortoise" under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License and the GFDL.

  1. ^ a b c Mwaya, R.T.; Malonza, P.K.; Ngwava, J.M.; Moll, D.; Schmidt, F.A.C.; Rhodin, A.G.J. (2019). "Malacochersus tornieri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T12696A508210. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T12696A508210.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ a b Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 287. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. ISSN 1864-5755.
  4. ^ Eustace A, Esser LF, Mremi R, Malonza PK, Mwaya RT (2021) Protected areas network is not adequate to protect a critically endangered East Africa Chelonian: Modelling distribution of pancake tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri under current and future climates. PLOS ONE 16(1): e0238669. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238669
  5. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Malacochersus tornieri, p. 266).
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Turtles of the World Archived 2007-06-21 at archive.today (CD-ROM), by Ernst CH, Altenburg RGM, Barbour RW (February 2007).
  7. ^ a b Connor MJ (1992). "Pancake Tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri ". Tortuga Gazette 28 (11): 1-3.
  8. ^ a b c d e Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens 2006-02-25 at the Wayback Machine (February 2007).
  9. ^ Mautner, A.-K., Latimer, A.E., Fritz, U. and Scheyer, T.M. (2017), An updated description of the osteology of the pancake tortoise Malacochersus tornieri (Testudines: Testudinidae) with special focus on intraspecific variation. Journal of Morphology, 278: 321-333. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.20640
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h WhoZoo: Animals of the Fort Worth Zoo (February 2007).
  11. ^ a b c Kirkpatrick DT (2007). An Overview of the Natural History of the Pancake Tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri ". 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Chansa & Wagner (2006).
  13. ^ a b c d e f CITES: Consideration of Proposals for Amendment of Appendices I and II 2016-03-06 at the Wayback Machine (PDF), Prop. 11.39 (February 2007).
  14. ^ White (1983).
  15. ^ Broadley & Howell (1991).
  16. ^ a b Bristol Zoo Gardens 2009-04-03 at the Wayback Machine (February 2007).
  17. ^ Mautner, A.-K., Latimer, A.E., Fritz, U. and Scheyer, T.M. (2017), An updated description of the osteology of the pancake tortoise Malacochersus tornieri (Testudines: Testudinidae) with special focus on intraspecific variation. Journal of Morphology, 278: 321-333. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.20640

External links edit

  • by Reptile Amphibian Information
  • media from ARKive  

Further reading edit

  • Broadley DG, Howell KM (1991). "A check list of the reptiles of Tanzania, with synoptic keys". Syntarsus 1: 1–70. (Malacochersus tornieri, p. 8).
  • Chansa W, Wagner P (2006). "On the status of Malacochersus tornieri (Siebenrock, 1903) in Zambia". Salamandra 42 (2/3): 187–190.
  • Siebenrock F (1903). "Über zwei seltene und eine neue Schildkröte des Berliner Museums ". Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaften Klasse 112: 439-445 + one unnumbered plate. (Testudo tornieri, new species, pp. 443–445 + unnumbered plate, figures 1-3). (in German).
  • Spawls, Stephen; Howell, Kim; Hinkel, Harald; Menegon, Michele (2018). Field Guide to East African Reptiles, Second Edition. London: Bloomsbury Natural History. 624 pp. ISBN 978-1472935618. (Malacochersus tornieri, p. 35).
  • White F (1983). The Vegetation of Africa. Paris: UNESCO Press. 356 pp.


January 01, 1970
pancake, tortoise, pancake, tortoise, malacochersus, tornieri, species, flat, shelled, tortoise, family, testudinidae, species, native, tanzania, kenya, there, also, small, populations, northern, zambia, common, name, refers, flat, shape, shell, conservation, . The pancake tortoise Malacochersus tornieri is a species of flat shelled tortoise in the family Testudinidae The species is native to Tanzania and Kenya There are also small populations in northern Zambia 4 Its common name refers to the flat shape of its shell Pancake tortoise Conservation status Critically Endangered IUCN 3 1 1 CITES Appendix I CITES 2 Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Reptilia Order Testudines Suborder Cryptodira Superfamily Testudinoidea Family Testudinidae Genus MalacochersusLindholm 1929 Species M tornieri Binomial name Malacochersus tornieri Siebenrock 1903 Synonyms 3 Testudo tornieri Siebenrock 1903 Testudo loveridgii Boulenger 1920 Malacochersus torneiri sic Paull 1997 ex errore Malacochersus tornieri Mertens L Muller amp Rust 1934 Malacochersus loveridgei sic Pritchard 1967 ex errore Contents 1 Etymology 2 Taxonomy 3 Description 4 Distribution and habitat 5 Ecology and behaviour 6 Threats and conservation 7 References 8 External links 9 Further readingEtymology editBoth the specific name tornieri and an alternate common name Tornier s tortoise are in honor of German zoologist Gustav Tornier 5 Taxonomy editMalacochersus tornieri is the only member of its genus 3 Description editThe pancake tortoise has an unusually thin flat flexible shell which is up to 17 8 centimetres 7 0 in long 6 7 While the shell bones of most other tortoises are solid the pancake tortoise has shell bones with many openings making it lighter and more agile than other tortoises 8 On the rear of its shell it has a highly ossified lump that is different from the rest of its bone structure 9 The carapace top shell is brown frequently with a variable pattern of radiating dark lines on each scute shell plate helping to camouflage the tortoise in its natural dry habitat 6 8 10 The plastron bottom shell is pale yellow with dark brown seams and light yellow rays 10 and the head limbs and tail are yellow brown 6 Its bizarre flattened pancake like profile makes this tortoise a sought after animal in zoological and private collections leading to its over exploitation in the wild 11 Distribution and habitat editAn East African species M tornieri is native to southern Kenya and northern and eastern Tanzania 10 and an introduced population may also occur in Zimbabwe 1 The species has also been reported in Zambia 12 It is found on hillsides with rocky outcrops known as kopjes in arid thorn scrub and savanna from 100 to 6 000 feet 30 to 1800 metres above sea level 7 10 13 The species inhabits the Somalia Masai floristic region an arid semi desert characterized by Acacia Commiphora bushland and Brachystegia woodland in upland localities 14 15 It occurs in dry savannah of low altitude at small rocky hills of the crystalline basement Ecology and behaviour edit nbsp Captive pancake tortoise in rock crevice Pancake tortoises live in isolated colonies with many individuals sharing the same kopje or even crevice 10 Males fight for access to females during the mating season in January and February with large males tending to get the most chances to mate 6 10 Nesting in the wild seems to occur in July and August although clutches are produced year round in captivity The female digs a nest cavity about 7 5 to 10 cm deep in loose sandy soil 6 Usually only one egg is laid at a time but a female can lay multiple eggs over the course of a single season with eggs appearing every four to eight weeks 6 8 In captivity the incubation of the eggs lasts from four to six months 10 and young are independent as soon as they hatch 16 Wild and captive specimens often bask and although they do not appear to hibernate there are reports that they may aestivate beneath flat rocks during the hottest months 6 8 Most activity occurs during the morning hours or in the late afternoon and early evening The diet primarily consists of dry grasses and vegetation The pancake tortoise is a fast and agile climber and is rarely found far from its rocky home so that if disturbed it can make a dash for the nearest rock crevice 6 Since this tortoise could easily be torn apart by predators it must rely on its speed and flexibility to escape from dangerous situations rather than withdrawing into its shell 10 The flexibility of its shell allows the pancake tortoise to crawl into narrow rock crevices to avoid potential predators 6 thus exploiting an environment that no other tortoise is capable of using 11 There are two hypotheses about how the pancake tortoise is able to wedge itself in rock crevices The first is that it presses its ossified lump to the ceiling of the rock crevice using its hind legs or it inflates an unossified portion in the plastron with air 17 Threats and conservation editThe greatest threats facing the pancake tortoise are habitat destruction and its over exploitation by the pet trade 13 Given the low reproductive rate of this tortoise populations that have been harvested may take a long time to recover Commercial development diminishes the amount of suitable habitat for pancake tortoises which already is neither common nor extensive 11 Tortoises in Kenya are threatened by clearance of thorn scrub for conversion to agriculture and in Tanzania by over grazing of goats and cattle 13 The pancake tortoise is classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List and listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES 1 13 In 1981 Kenya banned the export of the pancake tortoise unless given written permission by the Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources Tanzania protects this species under the Wildlife Conservation National Game Order 1974 13 and it is protected within the Serengeti National Park 8 The European Union banned the import of the pancake tortoise in 1988 but trade with EU members continues with several countries having reported importing the species 13 The pancake tortoise has been bred in captivity and is now the subject of a coordinated breeding programme in European zoos 16 References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Malacochersus tornieri This article incorporates text from the ARKive fact file Pancake tortoise under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3 0 Unported License and the GFDL a b c Mwaya R T Malonza P K Ngwava J M Moll D Schmidt F A C Rhodin A G J 2019 Malacochersus tornieri IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019 e T12696A508210 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2019 1 RLTS T12696A508210 en Retrieved 12 November 2021 Appendices CITES cites org Retrieved 2022 01 14 a b Fritz Uwe Havas Peter 2007 Checklist of Chelonians of the World Vertebrate Zoology 57 2 287 doi 10 3897 vz 57 e30895 ISSN 1864 5755 Eustace A Esser LF Mremi R Malonza PK Mwaya RT 2021 Protected areas network is not adequate to protect a critically endangered East Africa Chelonian Modelling distribution of pancake tortoise Malacochersus tornieri under current and future climates PLOS ONE 16 1 e0238669 https doi org 10 1371 journal pone 0238669 Beolens Bo Watkins Michael Grayson Michael 2011 The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press xiii 296 pp ISBN 978 1 4214 0135 5 Malacochersus tornieri p 266 a b c d e f g h i Turtles of the World Archived 2007 06 21 at archive today CD ROM by Ernst CH Altenburg RGM Barbour RW February 2007 a b Connor MJ 1992 Pancake Tortoise Malacochersus tornieri Tortuga Gazette 28 11 1 3 a b c d e Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Archived 2006 02 25 at the Wayback Machine February 2007 Mautner A K Latimer A E Fritz U and Scheyer T M 2017 An updated description of the osteology of the pancake tortoise Malacochersus tornieri Testudines Testudinidae with special focus on intraspecific variation Journal of Morphology 278 321 333 https doi org 10 1002 jmor 20640 a b c d e f g h WhoZoo Animals of the Fort Worth Zoo February 2007 a b c Kirkpatrick DT 2007 An Overview of the Natural History of the Pancake Tortoise Malacochersus tornieri Archived 2011 07 07 at the Wayback Machine Chansa amp Wagner 2006 a b c d e f CITES Consideration of Proposals for Amendment of Appendices I and II Archived 2016 03 06 at the Wayback Machine PDF Prop 11 39 February 2007 White 1983 Broadley amp Howell 1991 a b Bristol Zoo Gardens Archived 2009 04 03 at the Wayback Machine February 2007 Mautner A K Latimer A E Fritz U and Scheyer T M 2017 An updated description of the osteology of the pancake tortoise Malacochersus tornieri Testudines Testudinidae with special focus on intraspecific variation Journal of Morphology 278 321 333 https doi org 10 1002 jmor 20640External links editPancake Tortoise by Reptile Amphibian Information pancake tortoise malacochersus tornieri Pancake tortoise media from ARKive nbsp Further reading editBroadley DG Howell KM 1991 A check list of the reptiles of Tanzania with synoptic keys Syntarsus 1 1 70 Malacochersus tornieri p 8 Chansa W Wagner P 2006 On the status of Malacochersus tornieri Siebenrock 1903 in Zambia Salamandra 42 2 3 187 190 Siebenrock F 1903 Uber zwei seltene und eine neue Schildkrote des Berliner Museums Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften Mathematisch Naturwissenschaften Klasse 112 439 445 one unnumbered plate Testudo tornieri new species pp 443 445 unnumbered plate figures 1 3 in German Spawls Stephen Howell Kim Hinkel Harald Menegon Michele 2018 Field Guide to East African Reptiles Second Edition London Bloomsbury Natural History 624 pp ISBN 978 1472935618 Malacochersus tornieri p 35 White F 1983 The Vegetation of Africa Paris UNESCO Press 356 pp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pancake tortoise amp oldid 1209746413, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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