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  3. Indian Star Tortoise

One of the 41 turtles and tortoises on WAnimals

Reptiles · Testudines · Testudinidae

Indian Star Tortoise

Geochelone elegans

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.

Spotted something wrong?

The Indian star tortoise has a strongly domed shell decorated with radiating yellow stars on a black background. That pattern has made it one of the most heavily trafficked tortoises in the world: shipments of more than six thousand live animals have been seized at a single airport. Its domed shell also has a specific use.

Weight

1.3 kg – 7 kg

Size

20 cm – 38 cm

Life expectancy

50 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

Temperate forestDesertGrassland
7countries12parks13same family

Fun facts

  • GeneralThe yellow stars on its shell make it much sought after by traffickers.
  • Its strongly domed shell lets it right itself if it ends up on its back, something flat-shelled tortoises cannot manage: the shape means a single rocking motion is enough to recover.
  • It is one of the most heavily trafficked tortoises in the world: single shipments of more than six thousand live animals have been seized, and tens of thousands are reckoned to leave India each year for the Asian pet trade.
  • Its pattern of stars breaks up the animal's outline among dry grass and the shadows of scrub, and despite how striking it looks in the hand, in its habitat it is effective camouflage.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a shell (reptile)
Habitat and environment
Dry scrub, deciduous forest and monsoon regions of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Sexual maturity
10 years
Gestation / incubation
120 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size
6 eggs

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/

Where to find it

Loading map…

The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.

Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 12.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Indian Star Tortoise — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Same taxonomic family
Same taxonomic family
Shares a park
Shares a park
Shares a park
Same taxonomic family

How to help

The indian star tortoise is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.

It's documented in 9 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.

Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about indian star tortoise.

Comments

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See full glossary
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See its range on the interactive map→
RanthamboreIndia
GirIndia
YalaSri Lanka
NagarholeIndia
WilpattuSri Lanka
BandipurIndia
KumanaSri Lanka
UdawalaweSri Lanka
Thar DesertIndia
MudumalaiIndia
See all 12 parks
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Mugger

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Four-horned Antelope

Tetracerus quadricornis

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Burmese Star Tortoise

Geochelone platynota

CountriesIndia
ParksRanthamboreIndia
TagsHerbivore
Herbivore
Diurnal
Solitary
Vulnerable
Reptile
Temperate forest
Desert
Grassland
India
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Myanmar
Nepal