Pancake tortoise

‘As flat as a pancake’ – as the saying goes.

These cute little flat shelled tortoises are from Tanzania and Kenya and get their name from their unique looking shell.

Unlike other tortoises the shell on a pancake tortoise is actually flexible. This makes them lighter and speedier than other tortoises.

This tortoise can certainly shift if it needs to and are and good climbers too. This proves very useful when they’re trying to avoid predators. When trying to hide they will wedge themselves in crevices (gaps in rocks) and puff up their body to wedge themselves so they can’t be pulled out. They do this in their enclosure at Folly Farm so don’t panic if you see them wedged sideways between two stones, it’s completely normal behaviour.

You’ll find our panckae tortoises in Kifaru Reserve alongside our rhino.

Conservation

The biggest threat to pancake tortoises is habitat destruction and being taken for the pet trade. Because of its vulnerable status it’s now the subject of a breeding programme in European zoos, and we’re a member.

Fun facts about the pancake tortoise

A female can lay multiple eggs over the course of a single season, usually one at a time, with eggs appearing every four to eight weeks.
Unlike other tortoises, pancake tortoises run when they get scared. They are known as ‘sprinters and hiders’.
Their babies are able to look after themselves as soon as they hatch.

Latin name
Malacochersus tornieri

Class
Reptilia

Order
Testudines

Family
Testudinidae

Conservation status
Vulnerable

Pancake tortoise questions and answers

Impress your friends with everything you know about the pancake tortoise!

How long do they live? +

Up to the thirty-five years, but they have been known to live longer.

They’re quite small…how big do they actually get? +

They can grow 15/17cm (6/7 inches) long and up to 2.5cm (1 inch) tall. A baby pancake tortoise is the size of a 50 pence piece.