Evolution thought of everything long before we did. Take the case of the forest hinge-back tortoise (Kinixys erosa) found in the Congo Basin, as well as parts of West Africa and all the way east to Lake Victoria. The forest hinge-back and other tortoises in the genus Kinixys all have a strange attribute resembling a hatchback on a car. These tortoises can swing the backs of their shells 90 degrees downward. This hatchback or hinge “allows them to close off their vulnerable rear opening,” says Pearson McGovern, an independent tortoise researcher who has worked with the forest hinge-back tortoise. But it’s hinge-back isn’t the only thing that sets the forest species apart. It’s also the largest of all the other members of the Kinixys genus and is incredibly good at camouflage. Edem Eniang, executive director of the Biodiversity Preservation Center in Nigeria, says the tortoise has an “uncanny ability to blend with their environment … makes them appear magical and undetected by their enemies including hunters.” Front view of a confiscated forest hingeback tortoise in Côte d’Ivoire with damage to the nuchal area. Image by Pearson McGovern. Closely-related Home’s hinge back tortoise. Image courtesy of Edem Eniang. He says it look like a rock until you investigate more closely. It’s also “extremely calm,” and while mainly a land-dwelling creature, it’s also adept in the water. “[It has an] incredible ability to swim perfectly floating on the surface and diving deep to hunt for fish,” Eniang says. And it will eat pretty much anything. Luca Luiselli,…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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