Spider Tortoise
Pyxis arachnoides
The spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae that is endemic to Madagascar and is one of only two species in the genus Pyxis.
From the article Spider tortoise on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Range & habitat
The remaining tortoises are found only in south western Madagascar, where they inhabit the spiny vegetation of the sandy coastal areas.
Wikipedia: “Habitat”
What it does
Very little is known about the life cycle of this endangered tortoise, which is believed to live for up to 70 years. 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. The largest threats the endangered tortoise faces are the pet trade, poaching for food, and habitat destruction.
Wikipedia: “Life cycle and breeding”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Pyxis arachnoides in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 40047.