Spider tortoise

Species of tortoise

Spider tortoise

Conservation status

Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1]

CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Reptilia
Order:  | Testudines
Suborder:  | Cryptodira
Superfamily:  | Testudinoidea
Family:  | Testudinidae
Genus:  | Pyxis
Species:  |

P. arachnoides

Binomial name
Pyxis arachnoides

Bell, 1827

Synonyms[3]

Pyxis arachnoides arachnoides

* Pyxis arachnoides Bell, 1827
* Testudo (Pyxis) aranoides Gray, 1831 (ex errore)
* Pyxis aranoides Gray, 1831
* Pyxis madagascariensis Lesson, 1831
* Testudo (Pyxis) arachnoides Fitzinger, 1835
* Bellemys arachnoides Williams, 1950
* Pyxis arachnoides arachnoides Bour, 1979

Pyxis arachnoides brygooi

* Pyxoides brygooi Vuillemin & Domergue, 1972
* Pyxis arachnoides brygooi Bour, 1979

Pyxis arachnoides oblonga

* Pyxis arachnoides matzi Bour, 1979
* Pyxis arachnoides oblonga Bour, 1985

The spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae that is endemic to Madagascar and is one of only two species in the genus Pyxis.[4]

## Habitat

[edit]

The remaining tortoises are found only in south western Madagascar, where they inhabit the spiny vegetation of the sandy coastal areas.

Spider tortoise in captivity.

## Life cycle and breeding

[edit]

Very little is known about the life cycle of this endangered tortoise, which is believed to live for up to 70 years.[5] Here they feed on young leaves, insect larvae, and even the droppings of larger animals. When the wet season arrives, the dormancy period ends and the tortoises begin to mate. Females only lay one egg when they reproduce, and the egg is incubated for about 220–250 days. The largest threats the endangered tortoise faces are the pet trade, poaching for food, and habitat destruction.

## Conservation

[edit]

Their trade is illegal in Madagascar, but they are extensively smuggled[6] for food, body parts, and illegal pets.[5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Leuteritz, T.; Walker, R. (2020). "Pyxis arachnoides". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T19035A177075588. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T19035A177075588.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
3. ^ Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 292–293\. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. ISSN 1864-5755.
4. ^ Glaw, Frank; Vences, Miguel (2007). A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar (3rd ed.). Cologne, Germany: Vences & Glaw Verlags. ISBN 978-3929449037.
5. ^ a b Leuteritz, T.; Walker, R. (2014). "Pyxis arachnoides". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T19035A50987297. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T19035A50987297.en. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
6. ^ "Malagasy Frontier Police seize Indonesia-bound shipment of 'world's rarest' tortoises - Wildlife Trade News from TRAFFIC".

7\. Walker, Ryan C. “The decline of the critically endangered northern Madagascar spider tortoise (pyxis arachnoides brygooi).” Herpetologica, vol. 66, no. 4, Dec. 2010, pp. 411–417, https://doi.org/10.1655/09-047.1.

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Tortoise family

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Reptilia
* Subclass: Anapsida
* Order: Testudines
* Suborder: Cryptodira
* Superfamily: Testudinoidea
* Family: Testudinidae

Genera|

Species of the tortoise family

Agrionemys|

* Russian tortoise

Aldabrachelys|

* Aldabra giant tortoise (subspecies:
* A. g. arnoldi
* †A. g. daudinii
* A. g. hololissa)
* †Aldabrachelys abrupta
* †Aldabrachelys grandidieri

Astrochelys|

* Angonoka tortoise
* Radiated tortoise
* †Astrochelys rogerbouri

Centrochelys|

* African spurred tortoise
* †Centrochelys atlantica
* †Centrochelys burchardi
* †Centrochelys vulcanica

Chelonoidis|

* Chaco tortoise
* Red-footed tortoise
* Yellow-footed tortoise
* †Chelonoidis alburyorum
* †Chelonoidis cubensis
* †Chelonoidis lutzae
* †Chelonoidis monensis
* †Chelonoidis sellovii
* †Chelonoidis sombrerensis

Galápagos tortoise

Chelonoidis complex

* Cerro Azul giant tortoise
* Chatham Island giant tortoise
* Eastern Santa Cruz tortoise
* Fernandina Island tortoise
* †Floreana Island tortoise
* Hood Island giant tortoise (Diego)
* Santa Fe Island tortoise
* †Pinta Island tortoise †(Lonesome George)
* Santiago Island giant tortoise
* Pinzón Island giant tortoise
* Sierra Negra giant tortoise
* Volcán Alcedo giant tortoise
* Volcán Darwin giant tortoise
* Volcán Wolf giant tortoise
* Western Santa Cruz tortoise

†Cheirogaster|

* †Cheirogaster bacharidisi
* †Cheirogaster gymnesica
* †Cheirogaster schafferi

Chersina|

* Angulate tortoise

Chersobius|

* Nama padloper
* Karoo padloper
* Speckled padloper

†Cylindraspis|

* †Domed Mauritius giant tortoise
* †Domed Rodrigues giant tortoise
* †Réunion giant tortoise
* †Saddle-backed Mauritius giant tortoise
* †Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise

Geochelone|

* Burmese star tortoise
* Indian star tortoise

Gopherus|

* Bolson tortoise
* Desert tortoise
* Goode's thornscrub tortoise
* Gopher tortoise
* Sonoran Desert tortoise
* Texas tortoise

†Hadrianus|

* †Hadrianus corsoni
* †Hadrianus majusculus
* †Hadrianus octonaria
* †Hadrianus robustus
* †Hadrianus schucherti
* †Hadrianus utahensis
* †Hadrianus vialovi

†Hesperotestudo|

* †Hesperotestudo percrassa

Homopus|

* Common padloper
* Greater padloper

Indotestudo|

* Elongated tortoise
* Forsten's tortoise
* Travancore tortoise

Kinixys|

* Bell's hinge-back tortoise
* Forest hinge-back tortoise
* Home's hinge-back tortoise
* Lobatse hinge-back tortoise
* Natal hinge-back tortoise
* Speke's hinge-back tortoise

Malacochersus|

* Pancake tortoise

Manouria|

* Asian forest tortoise
* Impressed tortoise

†Megalochelys|

* †Megalochelys atlas
* †Megalochelys cautleyi
* †Megalochelys margae
* †Megalochelys sondaari

Psammobates|

* Geometric tortoise
* Serrated tortoise
* Tent tortoise

Pyxis|

* Flat-backed spider tortoise
* Spider tortoise

Stigmochelys|

* Leopard tortoise

†Stylemys|

* †Stylemys botti
* †Stylemys calaverensis
* †Stylemys canetotiana
* †Stylemys capax
* †Stylemys conspecta
* †Stylemys copei
* †Stylemys emiliae
* †Stylemys frizaciana
* †Stylemys karakolensis
* †Stylemys nebrascensis
* †Stylemys neglectus
* †Stylemys oregonensis
* †Stylemys pygmea
* †Stylemys uintensis
* †Stylemys undabuna

Testudo|

* Hermann's tortoise
* Kleinmann's tortoise
* Marginated tortoise
* Spur-thighed tortoise
* †Testudo brevitesta

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Key: †=extinct.

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Testudines

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Reptilia
* Clade: Diapsida
* Order: Testudines

Suborder|

| Superfamily|

| Family|

Genus

Cryptodira|

| Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)|

| Cheloniidae|

* †Allopleuron
* Caretta
* †Carolinochelys
* Chelonia
* †Eochelone
* Eretmochelys
* †Gigantatypus
* †Glarichelys
* †Itilochelys
* Lepidochelys
* †Mexichelys
* †Miocaretta
* Natator
* †Pacifichelys
* †Syllomus
* †Tasbacka

|

Dermochelyidae|

* †Arabemys
* †Corsochelys
* †Cosmochelys
* Dermochelys
* †Eosphargis
* †Mesodermochelys
* †Psephophorus

* †Euclastes
* †Peritresius
* †Procolpochelys
* †Protosphargis
* †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea|

| Dermatemydidae|

* Dermatemys

|

Kinosternidae|

* Claudius
* †Hoplochelys
* Kinosternon
* Staurotypus
* Sternotherus

Testudinoidea|

| Emydidae|

* †Acherontemys
* Chrysemys
* Clemmys
* Deirochelys
* Emys
* Actinemys
* Emydoidea
* Glyptemys
* Graptemys
* Malaclemys
* Pseudemys
* Terrapene
* Trachemys
* †Wilburemys

|

Geoemydidae|

* Batagur
* †Banhxeochelys
* Cuora
* Cyclemys
* Geoclemys
* Geoemyda
* Hardella
* Heosemys
* Leucocephalon
* Malayemys
* Mauremys
* Melanochelys
* Morenia
* Notochelys
* Orlitia
* Pangshura
* Rhinoclemmys
* Sacalia
* Siebenrockiella
* Vijayachelys

Platysternidae|

* Platysternon

Testudinidae|

* Aldabrachelys
* Astrochelys
* Centrochelys
* Chelonoidis
* Chersina
* Cylindraspis
* †Cymatholcus
* †Floridemys
* Geochelone
* Gopherus
* †Hadrianus
* †Hesperotestudo
* Homopus
* Indotestudo
* Kinixys
* Malacochersus
* Manouria
* †Megalochelys
* †Oligopherus
* Psammobates
* Pyxis
* †Solitudo
* Stigmochelys
* †Stylemys
* Testudo

Trionychia|

| Carettochelyidae|

* †Allaeochelys
* †Anosteira
* Carettochelys

|

Trionychidae|

* Amyda
* Apalone
* †Axestemys
* Chitra
* Cyclanorbis
* Cycloderma
* †Drazinderetes
* Dogania
* †Gilmoremys
* †Hutchemys
* †Khunnuchelys
* Lissemys
* Nilssonia
* Palea
* †Palaeoamyda
* Pelochelys
* Pelodiscus
* Rafetus
* Trionyx

* †Basilochelys
* †Sinaspideretes

| Chelydridae|

* Chelydra
* †Chelydrops
* †Chelydropsis
* †Emarginachelys
* †Macrocephalochelys
* Macrochelys
* †Planiplastron
* †Protochelydra

|

†Nanhsiungchelyidae|

* †Anomalochelys
* †Basilemys
* †Jiangxichelys

†Protostegidae|

* †Alienochelys
* †Archelon
* †Atlantochelys
* †Bouliachelys
* †Calcarichelys
* †Cratochelone
* †Desmatochelys
* †Iserosaurus
* †Notochelone
* †Ocepechelon
* †Pneumatoarthrus
* †Protostega
* †Rhinochelys
* †Santanachelys
* †Terlinguachelys

* †Adocus
* †Argillochelys
* †Bashuchelys
* †Ctenochelys
* †Prionochelys
* †Toxochelys

Pleurodira|

|  |

| †Araripemydidae|

* †Araripemys

|

†Bothremydidae|

* †Araiochelys
* †Arenila
* †Azabbaremys
* †Bothremys
* †Cearachelys
* †Chedighaii
* †Chupacabrachelys
* †Eotaphrosphys
* †Foxemys
* †Galianemys
* †Ilatardia
* †Inaechelys
* †Itapecuruemys
* †Jainemys
* †Kinkonychelys
* †Kurmademys
* †Labrostochelys
* †Nigeremys
* †Phosphatochelys
* †Polysternon
* †Puentemys
* †Rosasia
* †Rhothonemys
* †Sankuchemys
* †Taphrosphys
* †Ummulisani
* †Zolhafah

Chelidae|

* Acanthochelys
* Chelodina
* Chelus
* Elseya
* Elusor
* Emydura
* Hydromedusa
* †Lomalatachelys
* Mesoclemmys
* Myuchelys
* Phrynops
* Platemys
* †Prochelidella
* Pseudemydura
* Rheodytes
* Rhinemys
* †Yaminuechelys

Pelomedusidae|

* Pelomedusa
* Pelusios

Podocnemididae|

* †Albertwoodemys
* †Bauruemys
* †Brontochelys
* †Caninemys
* †Carbonemys
* †Cerrejonemys
* †Cordichelys
* Erymnochelys
* †Lapparentemys
* †Latentemys
* Peltocephalus
* Podocnemis
* †Stupendemys

†Sahonachelyidae|

* †Sahonachelys
* †Sokatra

|  |

|  |

* †Caribemys
* †Caririemys
* †Tacuarembemys

|

* Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

* See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers

Pyxis arachnoides|

* Wikidata: Q2376451
* Wikispecies: Pyxis arachnoides
* ADW: Pyxis_arachnoides
* BOLD: 191061
* CoL: 4QYL7
* EoL: 1055453
* GBIF: 5220309
* iNaturalist: 40047
* IRMNG: 10360482
* ITIS: 551954
* IUCN: 19035
* NCBI: 66194
* Observation.org: 102753
* Open Tree of Life: 859764
* Paleobiology Database: 373905
* RD: arachnoides
* Species+: 4096

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