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Definition of pancake tortoise
pancake tortoise
Plural:pancake tortoises
pancake tortoise Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A small species of tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) native to the rocky habitats of Tanzania and Kenya, uniquely characterized by an unusually thin, flat, and flexible shell that allows it to wedge itself into narrow rock crevices to escape predators.
Example
"Unlike its heavily armored relatives that pull their limbs inside, the pancake tortoise relies on its speed and flat shape to quickly slide under rocks when threatened."
Word Origin & Etymology
The common name derives from its unusually thin, flat profile, resembling a pancake, combined with 'tortoise' (from Late Latin 'tartarucha'). Its scientific name is Malacochersus tornieri.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Pancake tortoise. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/pancake tortoise