Common name : Speckled padloper
Scientific name : Homopus signatus
Family : Testudinidae
Native to : South Africa and Namibia
Interesting fact : The tortoise, unlike its relatives, has five toes on its forefeet.
Conservation status : Near Threatened
The smallest tortoise in the world, the speckled cape tortoise, has a flat shell to hide easily inside rock crevices. Their long limbs are adapted for rock climbing too. They like dry regions with rainy winters and hot summers, and feed on plants that grow in rocky areas. This species of the tortoise is threatened by poaching for the pet trade.
