|
SSP Species
/ Endangered
Species
Bordering the dry forests is the spiny desert—an unworldly
landscape of tangling branches of octopus trees and succulents
resembling an elephant’s foot. This is home to the radiated
tortoise, which gets its name from the yellow starburst pattern
on the scutes of its carapace.
Local fady, or taboo, protected this species from exploitation
by the native tribes but outsiders with no such beliefs put these
striking tortoises at risk by collecting for food, the shell trade
and the pet industry.
To learn more click here.
|