Poaching Pets for Profit

The four kinds of tortoises that live on Madagascar are amongst the most rare and beautiful in the world. Learn a few facts about each species.

1. Geochelone yniphora – ‘Ploughshare Tortoise’ (Angonoka in Malagasy). This comparatively large tortoise lives in just five patches of dry forest around Baly Bay, on Madagascar’s northwest coast. Its habitat is very restricted, and heavily impacted by fire and grazing. Ploughshare tortoises are one of the rarest tortoises in the world, with an estimated population of less than 600 (maybe as few as several dozen) in the wild.

2. Geochelone radiata – ‘Radiated Tortoise’ (Sokake in Malagasy). This beautiful tortoise is named for the pattern of star-shaped radiations on its back. Radiated tortoises are found in the unique spiny forests of Southwestern Madagascar. Some of the local tribes of this part of Madagascar consider eating (or even touching) radiated tortoises to be bad luck, so until recently, large populations still survived in their native habitat. Unfortunately, these tortoises are in such demand for the pet trade (and as food for surrounding tribes) that they are now endangered in the wild.

3. Pyxis planicauda – ‘Flat-Tailed Spider Tortoise’ (Kapidolo in Malagasy) A small tortoise that is found in patches of dry deciduous forests on the central west coast of Madagascar. This tortoise has a very low reproductive rate, taking 12-14 years to reach sexual maturity and only laying 1-3 eggs per year. Harvesting for the pet trade began in 1998, and since then it has become extinct in certain areas and reduced by 50-80% in others. Plans are currently underway to label the species "critically endangered."

4. Pyxis arachnoides – ‘Malagasy Spider Tortoise.’ This small, beautifully colored tortoise lives in a narrow strip along the Southwestern coast of Madagascar. Before 1999, less than 300 were recorded in international trade, but in the next two years at least 4,000 were exported, mostly illegally.

Don’t these tortoises look like they would be beautiful pets? Well, lots of people think so, which is why there is a lot of money to be made in selling them. You might think that a market for tortoises might benefit the Malagasy people. But if you take a closer look and trace the journey of a tortoise from its natural habitat in Madagascar to an internet ad in the U.S., you’ll be surprised at how much it hurts tortoises and tortoise populations, and how little money actually ends up in the hands of the Malagasy people. Track the Tortoise Trade and find out more.