CRCritically Endangered

Home's Hinge-back Tortoise

Kinixys homeana

Declining

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Home's hinge-back tortoise faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive collection for the bushmeat trade and traditional medicine markets across West and Central Africa. Rapid deforestation and agricultural expansion have fragmented its rainforest habitat, while mining activities and urban development continue to destroy critical nesting and foraging areas. The species' slow reproductive rate makes recovery extremely difficult once populations are depleted.
Threat summary

Habitat

Home's hinge-back tortoise inhabits primary and secondary rainforests across West and Central Africa, preferring areas with dense canopy cover and leaf litter. The species also occurs in forest-savanna transition zones and gallery forests along rivers.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical dry· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist lowland· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical swamp· majorWetlands (inland)· majorWetlands (inland) - Permanent rivers/streams· majorWetlands (inland) - Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSite/area managementSpecies managementSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservationAwareness & communicationsLegislationCompliance and enforcementLinked enterprises & livelihood alternatives

Other threatened species in TESTUDINIDAE

Indian Star Tortoise

Geochelone elegans

Declining

Chelonoidis vandenburghi

Increasing

Gopherus polyphemus

Declining

Eastern Santa Cruz Giant Tortoise

Chelonoidis donfaustoi

Increasing

Threatened in Benin

Olive Colobus

Procolobus verus

Declining

Uvariodendron angustifolium

Declining

Humped Bladderwort

Utricularia gibba

Unknown

Mutela franci

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Home's Hinge-back Tortoise classified as Critically Endangered?

Home's Hinge-back Tortoise is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Home's hinge-back tortoise faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive collection for the bushmeat trade and traditional medicine markets across West and Central Africa. Rapid deforestation and agricultural expansion have fragmented its rainforest habitat, while mining activities and urban development continue to destroy critical nesting and foraging areas. The species' slow reproductive rate makes recovery extremely difficult once populations are depleted.

Where does Home's Hinge-back Tortoise live?

Home's Hinge-back Tortoise occurs in Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, and Côte d’Ivoire (plus 5 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.

What are the main threats to Home's Hinge-back Tortoise?

The main threats to Home's Hinge-back Tortoise are 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, and 3.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.