I saw this little guy on Facebook a while back:

Yes, it’s a tiny tortoise eating tiny pancakes (originally from BuzzFeed Blue). Tiny versions of things that are normally much bigger are almost by definition cute, but there may be a darker side to this GIF, alas.

Commenters on the Facebook post noted several possible problems. The pyramiding in the tortoise’s shell, for example, could be a sign of improper nutrition. Shells are supposed to grow horizontally and stay relatively smooth, for the most part, thus increasing the total size of the shell. When pyramiding occurs, it can hinder the tortoise’s growth.

Other commenters said that tortoises should never eat pancakes, for various nutritional reasons. They didn’t go into much detail, though, and my efforts to Google any specific information have generally led to articles about this GIF and resources on Malacochersus tornieri, also known as the pancake tortoise, which lives in east Africa.

In researching general tortoise nutrition, the words “confusion” and “misinformation” came up a lot. I hardly read enough to claim to know anything, really, but it does seem safe to conclude that pancakes should not be a regular go-to meal for a tortoise. Maybe on special occasions, but that’s it.

Photo credit: “Malacochersus tornieri – Buffalo Zoo” by Dave Pape (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.