5 Interesting Facts About Natal Hinge-Back Tortoises

Here is a Natal hinge-back tortoise hiding from predators

Today I want to write about a lovely little tortoise, the Natal hinge-back tortoise.

Here are five interesting facts about them:

1. These beautiful little tortoises only grow to about 14 cm long and females are larger than males.
2. Natal hinge-back tortoises are  the smallest members of the hinge tortoise family and have one of the least developed hinges, which are at the back of the shell and help to protect their rear legs and tail from predators.
3. They hibernate during the winter months, hiding under rocks until the warmer weather arrives.
4. They are omnivores, eating a range of plants and insects.
5. Natal hinge-back tortoises are found in dry, rocky areas in a small section along the border of South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique.  Their numbers are dropping due to loss of habitat, collection for the pet trade and being run over on roads.

I hope that you found these facts interesting and learned something new.

Are there any other interesting facts that you would like to share about Natal hinge-back tortoises?