Profile: Indian Star Tortoise (Geochelone elegans)

The Indian Star Tortoise, as the name suggests is found in India, the central and Southern parts of India, in West Pakistan and in Sri Lanka. It prefers semi-arid, grasslands and thorny habitats and can equally be spotted in areas with high precipitations level. The name Indian star tortoise is derived from the 12 yellow lines radiating yellowish star patterns from its shell in the centre of either pyramidal bump, to create beautiful golden brown patterns. When the tortoise is amongst tufts of grass, it breaks up the shape of the shell thus the coloration beautifully blends in with the environment.