How difficult is it to keep Spider Tortoise?

Advanced. This is an advanced-level species. It requires specialized equipment and advanced husbandry skills with precise environmental control.

What is the lifespan of Spider Tortoise?

The average lifespan of Spider Tortoise is Estimated to live up to 70 years. With proper care and nutrition, they can live a long and healthy life.

How large does Spider Tortoise get?

Spider Tortoise typically reaches Carapace up to 15cm as an adult. Size may vary depending on care conditions and individual genetics.

What should I feed Spider Tortoise?

Spider Tortoise feeds on: Leaves, fruit, mushrooms and leafy greens. Aim for a balanced diet with appropriate feeding frequency.

What is the typical price for Spider Tortoise?

The price of Spider Tortoise varies significantly depending on morph, size, and lineage. Check our market price page for the latest pricing information.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Spider Tortoise

Advanced

Pyxis arachnoides

Pale brown or yellow rays radiate across the black carapace and resemble a spider web, hence its English and Japanese names. It is small, with a carapace to 15 cm, and most animals have a hinge on the front lobe of the plastron.

Difficulty

Advanced

Lifespan

Estimated to live up to 70 years

Size

Carapace up to 15cm

Humidity

40〜70%

Diet

Leaves, fruit, mushrooms and leafy greens

About

Pyxis arachnoides is endemic to southern Madagascar and, although the largest of its genus, is small, with a carapace to 15 cm. The shell is domed and elongated seen from above. Vertebral and costal scutes are black with pale brown or yellow rays - six to eight on the vertebrals and four to six on the costals - which resemble a spider web and give the tortoise its English and Japanese names. The marginals are yellow with black markings. A hinge between the abdominal and pectoral scutes lets most animals move the front lobe of the plastron, though one subspecies lacks it. It lives in coastal grassland, forest and scrub, is active in the rains and just after them, and rests through the dry season under leaf litter and fallen wood. It is herbivorous, eating leaves, fruit and mushrooms. Collection for the pet trade and predation of eggs and juveniles by introduced bush pigs have caused a steep decline.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Lifespan of the Spider Tortoise

The Spider Tortoise lives Estimated to live up to 70 years.

Size of the Spider Tortoise

The Spider Tortoise grows to Carapace up to 15cm.

Basic Info

Origin

Endemic to southern, southwestern and southeastern Madagascar, in coastal grassland, forest and scrub

Lifespan

Estimated to live up to 70 years

Size

Carapace up to 15cm

Care Specifications

PeacefulSolitaryBreeding: Hard

Sources: Reptiles Magazine: Captive-Bred Spider Tortoise Care / Wikipedia (Japanese): Spider tortoise / Wikipedia (English): Spider tortoise / Reptile Database

References & Sources

Edited & verified by: BreederDirect editorial team

The taxonomic, regulatory, and husbandry data on this page are compiled and verified against the authoritative primary sources below.

Primary sources

Taxonomy & Authority

Accepted name: Pyxis arachnoides Bell, 1827

Synonyms: Pyxis arachnoides Bell, 1827, Pyxis arachnoides brygooi Vuillemin & Domergue, 1972, Pyxis arachnoides oblonga Gray, 1869

Authority databases: Reptile Database

Nomenclature follows global taxonomic authority databases.

Regulations & Conservation Status

CITES Appendix IIUCN CR · Critically Endangered

Listed in CITES Appendix I, effective January 12, 2005. It qualifies as an internationally rare and endangered species, and an individual registration certificate is required for transfer or similar transactions. International commercial trade is prohibited. It is not listed as a special animal under the Enforcement Ordinance of the Animal Welfare and Management Act, nor as a specified invasive species.

Sources: CITES Appendices / Ministry of the Environment: list of invasive alien species / Order for Enforcement of the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals (designated dangerous animals)

Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.