Psammobates

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Division: Archelosauria
Division: Pan-Testudines
Division: Testudinata
Ordo: Testudines
Subordo: Cryptodira
Superfamilia: Testudinoidea

Familia: Testudinidae
Genus: Psammobates
Species: P. geometricus - P. oculifer - P. pardalis - P. tentorius

Name

Psammobates

Psammobates is a genus of tortoise erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1835. This genus contains three species, all of which are indigenous to southern Africa.[2]

The genus name means "sand-loving", and these tortoises typically inhabit the arid and semi-arid areas of southern Africa. Their diets and adaptations for this environment mean that these species do not generally survive outside their habitats and soon die when kept in captivity.

All three species suffer from illegal collecting and habitat destruction, but the geometric tortoise has historically been the worst affected and is now endangered.
Species
Distribution map of the three Psammobates species in southern Africa

Geometric tortoise, Psammobates geometricus
Serrated tortoise, Psammobates oculifer
Tent tortoise, Psammobates tentorius
Karoo subspecies, Psammobates tentorius tentorius (type species)
Namaqualand subspecies, Psammobates tentorius trimeni
Bushmanland subspecies, Psammobates tentorius verroxii

References

[1] Retrieved December 13, 2014 from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System on-line database (ITIS) (https://www.itis.gov)
JCVI.org (Retrieved February 24, 2010.)