The flat-shelled spider tortoise is active only during the hot/rainy season (4) (5), from December until around March (6), and is most active during and after rains (4) (5). During the cooler dry season, this species buries itself and lies dormant in the leaf litter of the forest floor (a period known as aestivation) (4). Breeding occurs during the hot/rainy season, and is followed a month later by egg-laying (5). Females may produce up to three clutches a year (5), each containing only one, relatively large egg (4). Hatching is timed with the return of the rainy season the following December (5). The diet of the flat-shelled spider tortoise consists of fallen fruits from trees, and the shoots and leaves of bushes (4).