Pancake tortoise
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[Photo] Pancake Tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri)Pancake tortoises (Malacochersus tornieri) at the Buffalo Zoo. Date 2006-07-04. Author Dave Pape (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Davepape). License: public domain.

The Pancake Tortoise, or Malacochersus tornieri, is a flat-shelled tortoise most commonly found in Tanzania and Kenya. Its name is derived from the shape of its shell, which is shaped like a pancake. Unlike most tortoises, its shell is flat, flexible, and provides the turtle very little defense against predators. For protection, the Pancake Tortoise hides in small crevices, which it can easily do due to the flat shape of its shell. The carapace is brown, frequently with a variable pattern of radiating dark lines on each scute, helping to camouflage the tortoise in its natural dry habitat. The plastron is pale yellow with dark brown seams and light yellow rays, and the head, limbs and tail are yellow-brown. Its' bizarre, flattened, pancake-like profile makes this tortoise a sought after animal in zoological and private collections.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancake_tortoise

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