The carapace of the Pancake tortoise is very flattened. It is so thin that you can see its breathing.
The softness of its shell makes it more vulnerable to predators than other tortoises. When danger threatens, it dashes nimbly to the nearest crevice. It can run two to three times as fast as other tortoises.
In the crevice, it inflates itself with air so that its shell becomes firmly wedged in the rock. This makes it difficult for predators to pull it out of the crevice, much like the Common giant plated lizard does.
The Pancake tortoise was first scientifically described in 1903.
Taxonomy
Testudinidae, Malacochersus (1 species)
Habitat
kopjes in thornbush savannahs and dry forests at altitudes between 50 and 1,800 metres above sea level
Behaviour and ecology
diurnal
Diet
plant parts with a high water content (succulents)
