Not just any turtle
Madagascar has almost no industry, but a major one is the trade in gem stones. In our travel between two major wildlife destinations we visited a gem stone shop, and we noticed this turtle there on display. We asked why it was there, but no serious answer came.
Only back home I learned this concerns the Radiated tortoise, one of the most threatened turtle species on the planet. It is saddening that it will spend its life on display in the craftshop, but still better than being butchered for meat, as we saw on many local markets.
The radiated tortoise is a species in the family Testudinidae. Although this species is native to and most abundant in southern Madagascar, it can be also be found in the rest of this island, and has been introduced to the islands of Réunion and Mauritius. As the radiated tortoises are herbivores, grazing constitutes 80-90% of their diet, while they also eat fruits and succulent plants.
