Reptiles
Chaco Tortoise
Chelonoidis chilensis · also called Argentine tortoise
Digging into the ground to escape both blistering summer heat and freezing winter cold, a Chaco tortoise survives across the dry grassland and scrubland of Argentina, its slow growth leaving it especially vulnerable to decades of pet-trade collection.
Overview
The Chaco tortoise, Chelonoidis chilensis, is a Vulnerable reptile native to grassland and desert habitat across Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Its burrowing strategy for surviving extreme temperature swings, its history of pet-trade overcollection, and its slow growth and late maturity make it one of the more conservation-sensitive tortoises found anywhere in South America.
A tortoise caught between extremes
Facing both scorching summer heat and freezing winter cold across the same range, the Chaco tortoise relies on burrowing to survive conditions few other reptiles endure, a resilience undermined by decades of collection for the pet trade.
Status
Vulnerable, with populations having declined due to historical overcollection for the pet trade, and slow growth limiting recovery.
Chaco Tortoise: common questions
Why does the Chaco tortoise burrow underground?
This species digs burrows to escape both the scorching heat of summer and the freezing cold of winter across its dry, open range in Argentina and neighbouring countries.
Why has the Chaco tortoise declined?
This species has faced significant historical collection pressure for the international pet trade, a threat that has contributed to population decline across parts of its range.
Why is the Chaco tortoise slow to recover from population declines?
This species grows slowly and reaches reproductive maturity late in life, making population recovery from overcollection especially slow compared with faster-breeding reptile species.
When is the Chaco tortoise most active?
This species is active mainly during cooler parts of the day, avoiding the most extreme heat of the desert sun across its range.