Indian Star Tortoise

• 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.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a shell (reptile)

Habitat & environment

Dry forest, thorn scrub and semi-arid country

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/