Malacochersus tornieri
Silhouette: Andrew A. Farke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) is a species of flat-shelled tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to Tanzania and Kenya. There are also small populations in northern Zambia. Its common name refers to the flat shape of its shell.
Both the specific name, tornieri, and an alternate common name, Tornier's tortoise, are in honor of German zoologist Gustav Tornier. Malacochersus tornieri is the only member of its genus. The pancake tortoise has an unusually thin, flat, flexible shell, which is up to 17.8 centimetres (7.0 in) long. While the shell bones of most other tortoises are solid, the pancake tortoise has shell bones with many openings, making it lighter and more agile than other tortoises. On the rear of its shell, it has a highly ossified lump that is different from the rest of its bone structure. The carapace (top shell) is brown, frequently with a variable pattern of radiating dark lines on each scute (shell plate), helping to camouflage the tortoise in its natural dry habitat. The plastron (bottom shell) is pale yellow with dark brown seams and light yellow rays, and the head, limbs and tail are... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 4 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | North Carolina Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Tulsa Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 8 | San Diego Zoo Safari Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Taipei Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 10 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Safari Madrid | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 13 | Oakland Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | National Zoological Garden of South Africa | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 15 | Toledo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Detroit Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Cape May County Park & Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Wildlife World Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | Birmingham Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Louisville Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Yaroslavl Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 23 | Edinburgh Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 24 | Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 25 | Bristol Zoo Project | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 26 | Dickerson Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 27 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 28 | Gatorland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 29 | Memphis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 30 | Metro Richmond Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 31 | Cameron Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 32 | Zoo Atlanta | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 33 | Faunia | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 34 | Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 35 | Little Rock Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 36 | Giraffe Centre | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 37 | Buffalo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 38 | Alligator Adventure | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 39 | Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 40 | Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 41 | The Seas with Nemo & Friends | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 42 | Entopia | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 43 | Adventure Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 44 | Sea World Indonesia | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 45 | Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 46 | 't Brinkie | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 47 | Shanghai Ocean Aquarium | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 48 | Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation – Blackburn Correctional Facility | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Crevice Tortoise sighting in Tarangire National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 9 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Crevice Tortoise in Tarangire National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July–October and December–April, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Crevice Tortoise sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Tarangire National Park, in our data
Tarangire National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Crevice Tortoise sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Crevice Tortoise is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Tarangire National Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
