Last stand of the Madagascan spider tortoise (BBC)
By Shanta Barley
Reporter
The spider tortoise - one of the rarest tortoises in the world - is the equivalent of a microwave meal for the Mikea, a hardy Madagascan forest tribe.
The method is simple: bury tortoise in heated sand, wait 20 minutes, slurp superheated innards.
"It even comes in its own bowl," explains Solo, a seasoned tortoise hunter, although, he adds, "It's hard to get big or fat or full from eating such small animals."
Due to the Mikea and a slew of other threats, the spider tortoise is hurtling towards extinction. Could a newly identified population rescue them from the brink or are the odds against them too high?
Under a worst case scenario, scientists calculate that spider tortoises could disappear in a matter of a few decades: less than a single tortoise's lifespan.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19161652
= new reply since forum marked as read
Definitely worth reading the article - thanks for posting it.
