Spider tortoise facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spider tortoise
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix I (CITES)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Pyxis
Species:	arachnoides
Synonyms
Pyxis arachnoides arachnoides Pyxis arachnoides Bell, 1827 Testudo (Pyxis) aranoides Gray, 1831 (ex errore) Pyxis aranoides Gray, 1831 Pyxis madagascariensis Lesson, 1831 Testudo (Pyxis) arachnoides Fitzinger, 1835 Bellemys arachnoides Williams, 1950 Pyxis arachnoides arachnoides Bour, 1979 Pyxis arachnoides brygooi Pyxoides brygooi Vuillemin & Domergue, 1972 Pyxis arachnoides brygooi Bour, 1979 Pyxis arachnoides oblonga Pyxis arachnoides matzi Bour, 1979 Pyxis arachnoides oblonga Bour, 1985

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.

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. 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 for food, body parts, and illegal pets.