The Radiated Tortoise is endemic to the dry spiny forest of southern Madagascar. The species is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild due to habitat destruction and overexploitation by humans, the two key threats. Overexploitation consists of collection for the national and international wildlife trade and collection for utilization as food by local people. Large-scale collection occurs even right inside nominally protected, but insufficiently patrolled stronghold areas of the species.
Habitat loss includes deforestation for use as agricultural land, the grazing of livestock, the burning of wood for charcoal and invasive plant species affecting habitat suitability. Aerial imagery of the spiny forest biome (the species' main habitat) indicates high and increasing levels of deforestation. An annual loss of 1.2% due to uncontrolled spread of fires for charcoal production has been estimated. This corresponds to a staggering 29% reduction in less than one generation of this long-lived tortoise, which can reach well over 150 years of age.
Additionally, studying the species' demographics at Lavavolo, a key area for its survival, revealed substantial nest predation. Accordingly, hatching success during this study was low at 23.1% (Nambinina et al. 2023). Excessive predation can lead to reduced recruitment and population decline.