Serrated hinge-back tortoise

Description

The eroded tortoise ( Kinixys erosa ) is a species of turtle in the family Testudinidae.This species of the African genus Kinixys is distributed in Angola,Burkina Faso,Cameroon,Central African Republic,Republic of the Congo,Democratic Republic of the Congo,Cote d'Ivoire,Equatorial Guinea,Gabon,Gambia,Ghana,Guinea,Liberia,Nigeria,Rwanda,Senegal,Sierra Leone,Uganda,possibly Benin,possibly Guinea-Bissau,and possibly Togo.This species has a 90 degree hinge,which when closed protects the tail and hind legs while they sleep to protect themselves from predators.It is a species threatened by the destruction of its habitat by deforestation for agriculture and urbanization,as well as hunting locally for meat,as it is a staple food for many African peoples.