Kinixys spekii Gray, 1863

Common Name & Carapace Size

Kinixys spekii, commonly called Speke's hinge-back tortoise, has an elongated, distinctly flattened carapace that reaches up to 20 cm (7.9 in) in straight length.

Carapace Shape Function

This flattened shape lets the tortoise seek refuge in rock crevices and under logs; the co-occurring pancake tortoise has an even flatter shell.

Carapace Keel & Marginal Scutes

The carapace has a weak, broken medial keel, and its posterior marginal scutes are neither strongly serrated nor turned backward.

Upper Shell Hinge

This species has a well-developed hinge at the back end of the upper shell, which lets it protect its retracted rear legs.

Sexual Dimorphism - Tail

Males of this species have a notably longer tail than females, and the tails of both sexes end in a spine.

Sexual Dimorphism - Plastron

Females have a flat plastron, while males have a more concave plastron.

Geographic Range - East Africa

Speke's hinge-back tortoise is found in East Africa, ranging from Uganda and Kenya south to Eswatini, adjacent to Mozambique and Zululand.

Geographic Range - West Extension

Its range extends west as far as the coast of Angola.

Primary Habitat

K. spekii lives in savannahs and dry bushlands with rocky areas.

Seasonal Habitat Shifts

It tends to occupy more wooded areas during the dry season, and moves out into open savannahs when summer rains arrive.

Reproduction - Clutch Details

Female K. spekii lay small clutches of two to four eggs in the summer.