Kalahari serrated tortoise

The Kalahari serrated tortoise almost never finds surface water to drink in its habitat, the Kalahari Desert. Its shell is adapted to collect dew that forms as a result of temperature differences between day and night. To drink the dew, the tortoise lifts the back half of its shell and channels the water droplets directly into its mouth.

Like many turtle species, the Kalahari serrated tortoise is under threat due to climate change and human caused habitat degradation. Its unique lifestyle and slow reproduction rate make it extremely difficult for this desert species to adapt to rapidly changing climatic conditions.

The Kalahari serrated tortoise is one of the least studied tortoise species in the world.