Head to head
Elongated Tortoise vs Burmese Star Tortoise
Elongated Tortoise
VS Burmese Star Tortoise
The elongated tortoise and Burmese star tortoise are two Critically Endangered tortoises of Myanmar, one a widespread forest species in decline and the other a star-shelled species being rebuilt.
| Elongated Tortoise | Burmese Star Tortoise | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Indotestudo elongata | Geochelone platynota |
| Shell | A yellowish to olive shell that is longer and flatter than that of most tortoises, often with dark blotches | A high, domed shell with yellow lines radiating from the centre of each dark plate |
| Diet | An omnivore eating leaves, fruit, flowers, and mushrooms, along with the occasional snail, worm, or carrion | A herbivore grazing on grasses, leaves, flowers, and fallen fruit |
| Habitat | Tropical forest, bamboo, and scrub, sheltering under logs and in burrows in the hottest and driest times | Dry forest, scrub, and grassland |
| Range | Northeastern India and Nepal through Myanmar, Thailand, and Indochina to southern China | Central Myanmar only |
| Main threats | Collected in very large numbers for food, traditional medicine, and the pet trade, and its forests are cleared | Collected for the pet trade and for food, and poaching continues even though wild numbers are small |
| Recovery | Has disappeared from much of its range and is still declining | Captive breeding in Myanmar has raised thousands of tortoises, with releases into guarded sanctuaries |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered, and decreasing | Critically Endangered, and increasing |
Elongated Tortoise vs Burmese Star Tortoise: common questions
Which tortoise eats mushrooms?
The elongated tortoise, which is unusual among tortoises in eating mushrooms, which it seeks out on the forest floor.
Which one is recovering?
The Burmese star tortoise, whose numbers are rebuilding through captive breeding and releases into guarded sanctuaries.
Do both live in Myanmar?
Yes, though the Burmese star tortoise lives only in central Myanmar, while the elongated tortoise ranges from northeastern India to southern China.