# Pancake Tortoise (*Malacochersus tornieri*)

The Pancake Tortoise has a flat, pancake-like shell! They are unique and love to hide in rocks and crevices.

- **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile)
- **Rarity:** Epic
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Rocky areas
- **Also known as:** Flat Tortoise

![Pancake Tortoise](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426029/objects/5729.jpg)

## Appearance

The Pancake Tortoise has an unusually flat, oval-shaped shell, typically light brown to tan with irregular dark markings. Its flexible carapace, distinct from the dome-shaped shells of other tortoises, allows it to squeeze into narrow rock crevices. It often has yellow or cream markings on its plastron.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Testudines
- **Order:** Testudines
- **Family:** Testudinidae
- **Genus:** Malacochersus

## Interesting facts

- Its unique shell is so flexible, it can actually feel soft to the touch, unlike most tortoises!
- Pancake Tortoises are among the fastest-moving tortoise species, despite their small size.
- These tortoises often live in small communities, sharing rock shelters with several other Pancake Tortoises.
- When threatened, it can inflate its body with air, wedging itself even tighter into rock crevices.

## Special abilities

- **Wedge Power:** Pancake Tortoises can squeeze into impossibly tight rock cracks because their flat, flexible shell compresses, making them impossible to extract.
- **Agile Escape:** Pancake Tortoises are surprisingly quick and agile, scrambling over rocks and through crevices that helps them escape predators swiftly.
- **Crevice Climber:** Pancake Tortoises can climb steep, rocky surfaces using strong claws and their unique shell shape that helps them grip and wedge for stability.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 15-18 cm
- **Weight:** 0.2-0.5 kg
- **Lifespan:** 20-35 years
- **Speed:** 0.3 km/h
- **Clutch Size:** 1-2
- **Incubation:** 120-220 days

## Diet & Feeding

Eats mostly leafy plants, grasses, and dried vegetation from its arid home.

- **Primary Foods:** grasses, leaves, succulent plants, dried plant matter, flowers
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Tawny Eagle (*Aquila rapax*) — Eagles are a key predator of young tortoises in their habitat.
- **Eaten by:** Black-backed Jackal (*Canis mesomelas*) — Jackals can predate on adult and young tortoises.
- **Eats:** Red Oat Grass (*Themeda triandra*) — A common grass in their East African savanna habitat.
- **Eats:** Secund Aloe (*Aloe secunda*) — Succulent leaves provide moisture in arid environments.

## Traits

- [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.
- [Armored](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/armored): Armored describes animals protected by a hard, external covering or shell for defense.
- [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.

## Collections

- [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles)
- [Reptiles & Amphibians](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles-and-amphibians)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Look but don’t touch. Keep a safe distance and wash hands after exploring.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Pancake Tortoise?

Compare shell shape, shell markings, head stripes and the shape of the feet. Wear, age and algae can hide shell patterns. Turtle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Pancake Tortoise?

15-18 cm

### How much does Pancake Tortoise weigh?

0.2-0.5 kg

### How long does Pancake Tortoise live?

20-35 years

### How fast can Pancake Tortoise move?

0.3 km/h

### What does Pancake Tortoise eat?

Eats mostly leafy plants, grasses, and dried vegetation from its arid home.

### Where is Pancake Tortoise usually found?

Rocky areas

### How does Pancake Tortoise hunt?

Foraging

## More Reptiles

- [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*)
- [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*)
- [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*)
- [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*)

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Source: [Pancake Tortoise: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pancake-tortoise)