ESTIMATING DENSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF THE MADAGASCAR FLAT-TAILED TORTOISE PYXIS-PLANICAUDA

A survey to determine the density and abundance of Pyxis planicauda wa s carried out in 20,000m(2) of the Kirindy Forest during January 1996. In the course of an 11 day field study a total of 12 tortoises were e ncountered with an 83% recapture rate, The small number of tortoises e ncountered and high recapture rate suggest that Pyxis planicauda occur s in low densities in the Kirindy Forest and therefore in correspondin gly low numbers.