Pyxis arachnoides

Tortoise table or closed terrarium allowing a stable thermal and humidity gradient to be maintained (tortoise table / closed vivarium)

PROTECTED SPECIES: listed on CITES Appendix I and Annex A of the EU regulation; classified as Critically Endangered (IUCN CR). Its keeping and trade are very strictly regulated or even prohibited; any wild-caught specimen is illegal. Never acquire without complete legal CITES/CDC documentation. Dimensions given for a single adult; larger is always better. Provide a deep substrate for burrowing, a humid hide and a dry area.

Very sensitive to changes in humidity. Maintain moderate humidity with a humid hide (microclimate), higher during the rainy season (65-75%) and lower during the dry season (~50%). Avoid any abrupt swings; good ventilation remains essential to prevent respiratory infections.

Loose, deep substrate (at least 10-15 cm) allowing burrowing and estivation. A layer of dead leaves reproduces the spiny-forest litter and helps regulate surface humidity.

Essential. Provide a quality UVB tube (T5 10-12% type) covering the basking area, for a UV index (UVI) of about 3-4 at the tortoise's level. Replace the source according to the manufacturer's recommendations; without adequate UVB, there is a high risk of osteodystrophy.

Always provide a shallow water dish (the tortoise must be able to enter it without drowning). Regular lukewarm baths (especially to stimulate activity and hydration when resuming after estivation and during the rainy season).

Southwestern Madagascar, along the coastal strip: dry forests and spiny forests on sandy soils. A narrow and fragmented range.

Herbivore — Not applicable (herbivore); occasionally ingests invertebrates found in zebu dung in the wild.

A fibre-rich plant diet: leaves, flowers, succulents (e.g. spineless prickly pear), wild grasses and various weeds. Avoid fruit (occasional at best) and excess protein. Supplement with calcium (cuttlebone); animal protein is not necessary in captivity — do not feed dung.

Clutch 1–2 eggs/young. Extremely low fecundity: most often a single egg per clutch (very rarely 2). Long incubation, often marked by an embryonic diapause that can last from several months to over a year, around 28-30°C. Breeding is difficult and rarely successful in captivity; it contributes to the species' vulnerability to overexploitation.

• Respiratory infections (linked to poor temperature/humidity management and stress)
• Osteodystrophy / metabolic bone disease (UVB or calcium deficiency)
• Dehydration, gout and kidney damage
• Heavy internal parasitism (nematodes), very common in wild-caught individuals
• Wasting, anorexia and estivation-related disorders (failure to resume, acclimation stress)