The saddle-backed Mauritius giant tortoise (''Cylindraspis inepta'') is an
extinct
Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
species of
giant tortoise in the family
Testudinidae. It was
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Mauritius
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
. The last records of this tortoise date to the early 18th century.
Description

One of two different giant tortoise species which were
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to Mauritius, this saddle-backed species seems to have specialized in browsing higher bushes and low-hanging branches of trees. Its lower, flatter
sister species grazed on grass, as well as fallen leaves and fruit on forest floors.
Although similarly sized, the two species differed substantially in their body shape and bone structure.
This species in particular seems to have been the ancestor of all the other four species of ''
Cylindraspis'' giant tortoise of the
Mascarene Islands, and to have accidentally drifted to the surrounding islands of Reunion and Rodrigues in order to do so. Its species name of ''"inepta"'' is due to its supposed propensity for falling into the ocean.
Extinction

This species was previously numerous throughout Mauritius—both on the main island and on all of the surrounding islets.
As Mauritius was the first of the Mascarene Islands to be settled, it was also the first to face the extermination of its native biodiversity—including the giant tortoises. The giant tortoise species, like many island species, were reportedly friendly, curious and not afraid of humans.
With the arrival of the Dutch, vast numbers of both giant tortoise species were slaughtered—either for food (for humans or pigs) or to be burned for fat and oil.
In addition, they introduced invasive alien species such as rats, cats and pigs, which ate the giant tortoises' eggs and hatchlings.
The species was likely extinct on the main island of Mauritius by about 1700, and on most of the surrounding islets by 1735.
Round Island refuge
At least one of the two Mauritian giant tortoise species might have survived on
Round Island (just north of Mauritius) until much later, according to the 1846 Lloyd report.
The Lloyd expedition in 1844 found several very large specimens of giant tortoise surviving on Round Island, although the island was by then already overrun with enormous numbers of introduced rabbits.
In 1870, the Governor Sir
Henry Barkly was concerned about the vanishing species and, in his enquiries, was told about the 1844 expedition by one of its members, Mr. William Kerr. Kerr informed the Governor that Mr. Corby, one of the other 1844 explorers, "captured a female land tortoise in one of the caves on Round Island and brought it to Mauritius, where it produced a numerous progeny, which were distributed among his acquaintance."
The Governor was unable to locate any of the progeny and, although hypothetically an 1845 hatchling could easily have lived into the 21st century, it is not known what happened to the hatchlings.
Round Island itself, already badly damaged by rabbits, had goats introduced to it soon afterwards. This—or some other factor—led to the total extinction of the tortoises in their last refuge. At the unknown point when the last of Corby's hatchlings died or was killed, the species would have become totally extinct.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q305519
Cylindraspis
Reptile extinctions since 1500
Extinct turtles
Extinct animals of Mauritius
Reptiles described in 1873
Taxa named by Albert Günther
Reptiles of Mauritius
Species that are or were threatened by invasive species
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot