Ploughshare Tortoise

Astrochelys yniphora

World's rarest tortoise. Each shell is poached for the wildlife trade — every survivor is microchipped.

Population: Critically low and fragmented — historical estimates range from ~200 mature individuals up to a total of 400-600 individuals across five isolated subpopulations near Baly Bay, Madagascar; one of the rarest tortoises on Earth
Habitat: Dry deciduous forest and bamboo-scrub savanna with palms and shrub thickets, plus mangrove-fringed grassland/savanna mosaics, in a hot semi-humid tropical zone generally below 50 m elevation; forages in open grassy areas, shelters in dense thickets
Fun fact: The species' common name comes from the forward-projecting, plough-shaped gular scute on the front of its plastron, which males use to flip rival males onto their backs during combat over mates.
Range: Endemic to a very small area (roughly 25-100 km²) of northwestern Madagascar around Baly Bay, near Soalala, including Baie de Baly National Park
Diet: Herbivorous — grasses (e.g. Heteropogon contortus), forbs, shrub leaves (favors Bauhinia pervillei) and fallen fruit in open grassland/savanna patches; avoids cyanide-bearing bamboo leaves and has been observed eating dried feces of bushpigs, carnivores, and lemurs, likely for nutrients/rehydration
Size: 0.43 m
Lifespan: 100 years

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