Reptile/Amphibian of the Week

Hello everyone, I know I haven't posted in a while. I have had a lot of stuff going on in my life, so I wasn't able to get much time to post, but I am going to try my best to at least get Reptile/Amphibian of the Week posted. This weeks reptile of the week is...

african-pancake-tortoise-001-20180131-6629jj.jpg


the African Pancake Tortoise!!!!!!!!!!

The Pancake Tortoise is unique in the tortoise family, physically and behaviorally. Their shell is unusually thin, flat, and flexible, helping the Pancake Tortoise the fastest of the tortoises. While most other tortoises have solid structural shells, there are many holes in the shell of the pancake tortoise, making it lightweight and agile. In fact, instead of hiding in its shell for protection, the pancake tortoise is able to quickly flee from danger. The flexibility of this shell allows pancake tortoises to crawl into narrow rock crevices, allowing them to use a habitat that is not suitable for any other tortoise. Unfortunately, these peculiar adaptations make pancake tortoises sought after for the illegal pet trade, making them vulnerable to extinction.



https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/pancake-tortoise
 
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