The pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) is a flat-shelled tortoise. Native to Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia. Its common name refers to the flat shape of its shell. 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 carpace (top shell) is brown, frequently with a variable pattern of radiating dark lines on each secute (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 yellow-brown.
