One of the smallest and most strikingly patterned tortoises in the world—a living jewel found only in the dry forests and spiny deserts of southwestern Madagascar. True to its name, this tiny tortoise sports a mesmerizing shell covered in web-like, radiating yellow lines that resemble a spider’s web—one of nature’s most intricate designs.

The Spider Tortoise is a miniature marvel. Its high-domed shell, or carapace, is dark brown to black, covered with golden-yellow lines radiating from the center of each scute, creating the spider-web pattern that gives the species its name. This intricate geometry isn’t just beautiful—it also helps break up the tortoise’s outline against the sandy, dappled terrain of Madagascar’s southern dry forests, offering superb camouflage. The tortoise’s small size, combined with its shell’s reflective coloration, allows it to avoid overheating while blending perfectly into the leaf litter and thorny undergrowth of its habitat.

Endemic to the spiny thickets and dry forests of Madagascar’s southwest coast, the Spider Tortoise’s range is limited to a narrow stretch of land near the Indian Ocean. This region is dominated by succulent plants, thorny bushes, and baobabs, where rain falls for only a few months each year. During the short rainy season (November to April), the tortoises become active, feeding and breeding among the fresh growth. They eat a varied diet of succulent leaves, grasses, fallen fruits, and flowers, often consuming cacti and other moisture-rich plants to stay hydrated. When the dry season arrives, lasting up to eight months, these tiny tortoises retreat into aestivation—a deep, summer-like dormancy. They bury themselves under leaf litter or sand and remain motionless for months, conserving water and energy until the rains return.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Madagascar

CR

2008