Critically Endangered
There are widely different assumed numbers I've seen for these small tortoises...up to 2000 or as few as 600. One conservation group in the area says they have a substantial number "possibly several hundred", but seem to have no solid idea. I am guessing that most likely there are not even 1000. They are listed as one of the 25 most endangered tortoises and turtles. Their habitat is a small area, where they have to contend with an invasive tree species choking out their food, fires, and human population expansion. The areas that still have surviving populations are mostly in poor farming habitats. They are small, 4-6" long is all, and live about 30 years. The plan for these seems to be trying to get them up to merely endangered, not even thinking about getting healthy numbers, simply hoping to keep them from going extinct.
Boy this one was tough for me to draw. I wanted to get the pattern right but not spend hours as I am trying to do speed drawings for all of these. It has a bold black and yellow pattern that is not easy to just throw on the paper...at least not for me. I try to put in about 5 or so minutes with the initial drawing. I am the sort who can easily spend hours just trying to get things perfect. This project is partly my attempt to relax during a stressful time, and obsessing over details is not relaxing.
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