South American Tortoise

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

South American Tortoise

 

(Geochelone denticulata), a reptile of the family Testudinidae (land tortoises). The shell is elongated and flat and measures up to 55–60 cm in length; the carapace is dark brown with yellow spots. The shell of the young is more convex and more brightly colored. The head and the long fat legs are blackish. The South American tortoise is widely distributed in the tropical forests of South America east of the Andes and in the Lesser Antilles. It feeds on fruits and green-stuffs. The eggs, which number four to 12, are buried in a pile of fallen leaves. The meat and eggs of the tortoise are used for food.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.