Yeah, it's a shame how dire their situation is in the wild. Sucks that you can watch an hour long show on animal planet and not see a single tortoise. I know lemurs are important too, and I guess us tree-hugged tortoise lovers need to keep in mind that in a place where slash and burn agriculture is the priority, most wildlife will end up being classified as critically endangered as both Pyxis species are...
They do behave a bit differently. I have always argued the pretty rock thing. Arachnoides go inactive for half the year, pretty much no matter what. Planicauda don't go down into dormancy quite as hard as the spiders. They are more active too. For me though, spiders are better, because they do best with a dry, cool winter, and a hot, wet summer. We have both of those things in CT! It's not often I find a species that actually works up here. And personally, I love the thrill I feel when the spiders wake up, or decide to take a few bites during the winter. They don't hibernate, per say, they just get lazy, haha.
They do behave a bit differently. I have always argued the pretty rock thing. Arachnoides go inactive for half the year, pretty much no matter what. Planicauda don't go down into dormancy quite as hard as the spiders. They are more active too. For me though, spiders are better, because they do best with a dry, cool winter, and a hot, wet summer. We have both of those things in CT! It's not often I find a species that actually works up here. And personally, I love the thrill I feel when the spiders wake up, or decide to take a few bites during the winter. They don't hibernate, per say, they just get lazy, haha.