Reptile

Indian star tortoise

Geochelone elegans

हिन्दी: भूमि का कछुआ, तारा कछुआ

IUCN: Vulnerable

Indian star tortoise with yellow star patterns on its domed shell

Scientific name: Geochelone elegans
Hindi name: भूमि का कछुआ, तारा कछुआ
Family: Testudinidae, order Testudines
Group: Reptile
Conservation status: Vulnerable
Length: Up to about 25 cm

A tortoise wearing a shell of stars.

Spot it High, domed shell with bright yellow star-shaped patterns on black.
Home Dry scrub and grassland in the Aravalli hills.
Food web Eats grass, flowers, fallen fruit and leaves.
Why it matters Spreads seeds of the plants it eats; protected in India.

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