The most prominent feature of the biscuit turtle is its very flat but beautifully patterned shell. The distribution is limited to a small area in southeastern Africa, only in Kenya and Tanzania. Most colonies are found in arid regions, stony hills with dwarf shrubs or exposed rock formations. The hills where biscuit turtles live can reach 1,800 meters above sea level. The biscuit tortoise is relatively small, usually no more than 6 inches in length (and up to 7 inches at the longest), and weighs only about 1 pound.

Recently, in-depth research into the natural history of the biscuit tortoise in Tanzania has greatly improved our understanding of its habits. The researchers found that while the cracker turtles have slightly different habitats, some basic things are the same. Most of the crevices they live in are quite deep, with flat rock bottoms and easy access to the ground nearby, presumably for the convenience of foraging. Usually some places in the rock crevice will gradually narrow to a height of only 5 cm. Seeking protection, cracker turtles squeeze themselves into these tight spaces. Fractures that meet these criteria are often found in surface rock layers that have been weathered but not yet disintegrated. Older hills are often too fragmented to provide shelter, and unweathered rock areas lack deep crevices. Large enough habitats for a colony of biscuit turtles capable of producing offspring may be far apart. However, within a habitat, multiple cracker turtles can peacefully share a favorable terrain crevice.

Moll and Klemens found that they usually live in groups of one male and one female, but have also seen as many as ten turtles living in a crevice. Data collected by the researchers suggest that males may migrate from one crevice to another, while females tend to stay in one place. But as interesting as the data is, it's just the beginning. Moll and Klemens also found other reptiles in the cracker turtle habitat, including flying lizards, geckos, skinks and platedlizards. Perhaps these animals benefit from the protection of rock crevices in the same way as the biscuit turtle. Moll and Klemens have found many killed biscuit tortoises. The most likely culprits are small carnivores such as meerkats.

Grass and other plants make up the majority of the cookie tortoise recipe. The exact type of food varies depending on where the biscuit turtle is native and the season of the year. In Tanzania, the turtles studied ate stargrass, redoatgrass (red wild oats), aloe vera and leaves of the genus Achyranthes. Other researchers have reported similar results, except that some turtles also eat seeds and nuts. Except during the rainy season, there is very little accumulation of water on the hills. Perhaps at other times of the year, the tortoise is fed by the plants that provide it with enough water. Of course, in order to eat, the biscuit turtle must leave its comfort zone in the crevice. In Tanzania, turtles have been seen crawling out of rock crevices at many different times during the day, spending about an hour and a half at a time foraging for food, with occasional breaks. Other researchers have also reported basking and prowling behaviors of cracker turtles.

It has been reported that biscuit tortoises, especially males, can become quite active during the breeding season. Cracker turtles in the wild mate at the beginning of each year and nest in July and August to lay their eggs. A successful mating female usually lays only one egg, which is buried 3-4 inches deep in loose, sandy soil. A female turtle can lay eggs multiple times a season, six weeks to two months apart. The eggs are about 2 inches long and half as wide. The incubation period appears to be 4.5-6 months, but more than 8 months have also been reported. The juveniles of the biscuit tortoise look similar to the juveniles of other tortoises. Typically, they are dark yellow with brown or black markings on the scutes of the carapace and plastron. Even their carapaces are slightly domed, not like their parents at all! Juveniles are about an inch and a half long and a little more rounded than adults. As they age, they will gradually become oblong like an adult turtle.