This tortoise Pyxis arachnoidest fits in the palm of your hand. It is a critically endangered species that is endemic to southern and western Madagascar. This tiny tortoise is named for its web-like yellow lines on its dark shell (carapace). There are three subspecies, which are slight variants of one another. These tortoises can live up to 70 years. You should keep in mind that they are not spiders.
Figure 1. Pyxis arachnoides (image from Smithsonian Institution open access).
This tiny tortoise lives in arid spiny forests. It burrows to survive during the dry season. This tortoise is an herbivore and east grasses, leaves, and fruits. It is active at dawn and dusk (= a crepuscular animal). It hibernates in burrows in sand during the dry season.
Females lay a single egg per clutch and provides no parental care thereafter.
Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Reptilia
Order Testudines
Family Testudinidae
Genus Pyxis
Type Species Pyxis arachnoides Bell, 1827
Reference
Wikipedia 2026
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