Spider Tortoise Pyxis arachnoides

The Spider Tortoise is a small tortoise endemic to arid, sandy zones of southern Madagascar.

It reaches some 20cm long and hibernates in the sand in the dry season when food is scarce.

Its small size, apparently spiders' web-like shell markings and a rounded appearance have made it attractive to the pet trade and this in addition to hunting for meat and massive habitat loss have made its survival highly threatened.