Flat as a pancake!
Tortoises come in a vast array of shapes and sizes and the latest new arrivals to Newquay Zoo are no exception. Pancake tortoises are just that, flat as a pancake.
Animal Collections Manager John Meek comments "This pair are living in an enclosure in the Tropical House which they share with Spiny Lizards. They can be very hard to see as they like to squeeze in-between the rocks and hide away. They are most active in the early morning or late afternoon. They originate from Kenya, Tanzania and their diet consists of leaves, grasses and fruit."
Pancake tortoises rely on speed of escape rather than the retraction of their body into their shell, as their shells are flexible and flattened, using rock crevices to hide in if threatened.
Threats include agricultural impact, overgrazing by livestock, habitat destruction and demand by the pet trade.
