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Indian Star
Tortoise
Geochelone elegans (1795, Schoepf) |
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| general
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| description |
A beautiful and rare tortoise
that can be easily distinguished by the star-like pattern
radiating on its back. |
| distribution |
India subcontinent
(Central and southern India, south to Sri Lanka and west into Pakistan)
code : BD, LK, IN, PK |
| adult
size |
approx. 6" carapax
length for male;
approx. 10" carapax length for female |
| hatchling
size |
1.5" - 2" carapax
length |
| conservation |
About 30 years before,
it used to be one of the most popular pet tortoises in
captive. But it is pretty rare now because it is eaten
by local people and susceptible to pneumonia and other
respiratory diseases. |
| housing |
| natural
habitats |
Terrestrial; deciduous
forests, dry savannahs, and grasslands |
| cage
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Cage should be large enough,
but does not need to be tall. (e.g. Wooden
Terrarium, Glass
Terrarium) |
| substrate |
Barks (e.g. Repti
Bark, Coconut
Bark), fine sand (e.g. Repti
Sand, Calci-Sand),
compressed paper granules (e.g. Good
Mews) |
| activity
period |
 Daytime (diurnal);
12
- 14 hours each day with direct natural sunlight or UV
lamp (e.g. ReptiSun 5.0,
UV Heat Bulb) |
| temperature |
30 - 32 ¢XC -- basking
spot (e.g. Basking
Spot Lamp)
27 - 28 ¢XC -- cooler area (e.g. Daylight
Blue Bulb)
25 - 26 ¢XC -- at night (e.g. Nightlight
Red Bulb, Infrared
Heat Lamp, Ceramic
Heat Emitter) |
| humidity |
low |
| water
dish |
Optional. A small water
dish (e.g. Rock water
dish) can be left in the cage sometimes but not all
the time. |
| hiding
place |
Optional. Possibllites
include caves (e.g. Habba
Hut, Heat Cave), etc |
| diet |
| natural
diet |
Herbivorous (plant-eating);
grass, succulents,
vegetables, fruits and occationally meat |
| primary
food |
Grass, Dark Leafy Greens
(e.g. dandelions, mustards, collards, turnips, kales),
Box Turtle & Tortoise
Food , Tortoise Formula
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| occasional
food |
Pricky Pears, Carrots,
Apples (with skin), Peaches, Berries, Squashes, Beans
(with skin), Peas (with skin), Almonds |
| never
feed on |
Very Juicy Fruits, Tomatos,
Bananas, Cabbages, Cucumbers, Bok Choy, Iceberg Lettuces,
Rhubarbs, Broccoli, etc |
| reproduction |
| reproduction |
Oviparous |
| eggs |
lays batches of 3 - 9
eggs each per year; Incubation lasts about 140 - 150 days
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| mating
season |
Jun to Oct |
| mating
age |
from 10 - 15 years |
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