Pancake Tortoise
Malacochersus tornieri
The pancake tortoise's shell is uniquely flat and flexible. While this lightweight armouring doesn't offer much defence, it does make it the fastest of all tortoise species. When in danger, it will swiftly wedge itself in between rocks.
Floppy Physique
A hatchling pancake tortoise next to a coin.
This tastily titled tortoise begins its life as a dome-shaped hatchling. As it grows, however, its shell becomes flatter and flatter — until eventually, the whole tortoise resembles the breakfast item it was named for. It grows into quite the hefty pancake, with an adult size between 15 and 18 centimetres (6–7 in) long and about 2.5 cm (1 in) thick. Instead of the solid-tank build that most tortoises opt for, the shell interior of the pancake is riddled with holes and, as a consequence, is quite lightweight, contributing to this flap-jack’s key abilities: speed and flexibility, talents not often seen in tortoises.
Speedy Tortoise
The pancake tortoise is no ironclad fortress. It cannot withstand direct assault like a star tortoise or Galapagos giant, but it can flee and hide better than any of them. Although its top speed is still unknown — probably because we’ve yet to organise a foot race for these sprawling sprinters — it’s likely the fastest member of the tortoise family.
Wedged in between rocks, this pancake tortoise is safe from most predators.
A pancake tortoise uses its spectacular speed, for a tortoise, to flee from predators like mongooses and wild dogs. It clambers up rugged surfaces to wedge itself between rocks, able to flex its shell about until it's squeezed into a safe position. Once in place, it takes a big breath, expanding its flexible shell to fill all the space between the rocks — claustrophobic this turtle is not. In fact, it spends most of its time in its rocky refuge, only emerging for a couple of hours around dawn and dusk to feast on some dry grasses or bask in the sun. Even then, it won't venture far, so that, if it faces any peril, it can scurry back to safety of its narrow nook. With such a horizontal disposition, it seems the pancake tortoise would be completely defeated if flipped upside down, but its flexibility allows it to briskly regain its upright footing.
For such a skittish creature, it is surprisingly social. Groups of these tortoises — pancake parties — gather in the arid savannahs and scrublands of East Africa, where as many as ten individuals have been found sharing a single rocky crevice. They usually get along — at least they do if there's enough food to go around.
Outrunning Extinction
Unfortunately, as speedy as it is, the pancake tortoise cannot outrun man’s greed. Slash-and-burn agriculture leaves these tortoises homeless while overgrazing by cattle leaves them starved. More maliciously, the pancake's uniqueness has attracted the attention of the illegal pet trade. Hatchlings are mostly stolen from the wild — a major issue for a tortoise that can only produce one egg at a time. As of 2018, this turtle is considered Critically Endangered.
But such a charismatic critter has its defenders. There are laws that protect these turtles from the pet trade, such as a 1981 law in Kenya that bans their illegal exportation, and their trade is managed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Zoos around the world are engaging in breeding programs — carefully incubating each precious egg to maintain a proper balance of sexes. With more of these kinds of efforts, and more support, the pancake tortoise may yet outsprint extinction.
Where Does It Live?
⛰️ Arid savannah and scrubland.
📍 Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe ¹
‘Critically Endangered’ as of 25 October, 2018.
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Size // Small
Length // 15 - 18 cm (5.9 - 7 in)
Weight // 450 grams (1 lb)
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Activity: Crepuscular 🌄
Lifestyle: Social 👥
Lifespan: 35 years (wild), up to 50 (captivity)
Diet: Herbivore
Favorite Food: Dry grass 🌾
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Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Testudinoidea
Genus: Malacochersus
Species: M. tornieri
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The pancake tortoise is the fastest of any turtle on land. Although its max speed is unknown, its light shell allows it to move quite swiftly (for a tortoise).
The pancake tortoise is born with a regular, domed shell, which later develops its distinctive pancake shape as it matures.
Its primary strategy of defence is to flee using its speed and, taking advantage of its flexible shell, squeeze itself between some rocks. It then takes a breath to more firmly wedge itself in the spot, making it difficult for a predator to dislodge it.
This turtle is critically endangered. It is a common victim of the illegal pet trade and its low reproduction rate (one egg at a time with an incubation period of 4 to 6 months) has prevented the population from reestablishing itself.
