Spider Tortoise Population Ravaged by Poachers
The northern Madagascar spider tortoise, one of the three subspecies of Pyxis arachnoids, is currently facing a threat to their population brought about by poachers.
The spider tortoise is small compared to other tortoise species, and is characterized by the presence of web-like patterns on adult shells. The northern Madagascar spider tortoise subspecies (P. a. brygooi) can only be found in a narrow strip on the coast. Since they’re endemic and hence, can easily be caught, the subspecies is currently “extinct across 50% of its former historical range.” Senior wildlife biologist at Nautilus Ecology UK, Ryan Walker, conducted this population survey last March, and came to the conclusion that the wild population of the northern Madagascar tortoise has fallen by 90%, mostly due to massive collection for illegal pet trade.
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“The most striking aspect of the survey was that huge areas of suitable habitat were completely devoid of tortoises. A sure sign that the collectors had been in to collect them for either local consumption as food or collection for black market to supply the pet trade,” says Walker.
The subspecies still has an estimated population number of 2 million, but with a price of $1000 per tortoise in the market and a recent lax in security in the country, who knows how fast this number could decline. Technically, it’s illegal for the tortoise to be taken out of Madagascar, but an ongoing political turmoil makes it easier to slip out exotic animals. Of the three spider tortoise subspecies, P. a. brygooi is the most troubled by poaching, although the other two also suffer indirectly from loss of habitat.
Image credit: Wikimedia under a Creative Commons License
