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Burmese Star Tortoise

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Burmese Star Tortoise

Profile

Quick Facts:

Taxonomy & scientific name

Current

• Kingdom Animalia - animals
• Phylum Chordata - chordates
• Class Reptilia - reptiles
• Order Testudines - turtles, tortoises, and terrapins
• Family Testudinidae - tortoises
• Genus Geochelone - typical tortoises
• Species platynota (Blyth, 1863) - Burmese Star tortoise
• scientific name = Geochelone platynota

Old

• original name - Testudo platynota

Other names

• Burmese Starred tortoise
• Flatback tortoise
• Myanmar Star tortoise
• Burma-Landschildkröte - German
• Burma Sternschildkröte - German
• Burmese sterlandschildpad - Dutch
• Tartaruga stellata Burmese - Italian
• Tortue à dos plat - French
• Tortue étoilée de Birmanie - French
• tortuga estrellada de Burma - Spanish
• many local names, e.g. Gyo leik (causes trouble)

Origin

• native to Myanmar (formerly Burma)
• Myanmar is located east of India and south of China

Size

• beautiful medium sized tortoise
• max size 12+ inches (30+ cm)
• average size 10-12 inches (26-30 cm)
• in general, females grow up to 12 inches and males up to 9.5 inches

Color & pattern

• the shell is domed and usually smooth in the wild
• carapace, the upper shell, is creamy white or light yellow with dark brown or black patterns, but it looks like the shell is dark with radiating yellow stripes forming the star patterns
• the underlying yellow shell color can be seen in old individuals in spots where the dark color has rubbed off
• marginal scutes along the perimeter of the shell have light colored v-shaped patterns
• six or less yellow lines in the star patterns
• plastron, the underside, is yellow with black blotches
• head, limb, and tail scales are whitish, yellow, tan, or even light orange
• color and pattern varies somewhat by the individual

Habitat

• dry zones of Myanmar
• scrub lands, grasslands, forests, and forest edges
• local temperatures range from 40-50°F in the winter to over 100°F in the summer
• very little is known of its behavior in the wild
• wild specimens are disappearing
• currently, mostly exists in two protected areas in Myanmar, Shwe Settaw Wildlife Sanctuary and Minzontaung Wildlife Sanctuary

Activity

• active during the day, especially mornings and afternoons
• stays active year round, unless it's very hot or cold
• not a digger or climber
• likes to hide under scrubs and bushes
• does not hibernate

Personality

• active, smart, personable, responsive
• in general, less shy than the Indian Star tortoise

Care

• seems to prefer temperatures in the 75-85°F (25-30°C) range with a basking area of 95°F (35°C)
• may tolerate temperatures down to 60°F (15°C) in dry conditions
• said to be more resilient to temperatures than the Indian Star tortoise
• susceptible to upper respiratory infections if kept in too cold conditions
• should be kept outdoors in warm weather
• see the housing pages enclosure ideas and links

Diet

• mainly herbivorous in the wild, but may occasionally eat insects and larvae
• graces on a variety of plants, mostly grasses
• in captivity, feed plants only, no animal products
• needs a diet that is high in fiber, low in fat and protein, and has a high calcium to phosphorus ratio (min 2:1)
• see the Indian Star tortoise diet page

Cautions

• one of the rarest tortoises in the world
• on the IUCN Red List, critically endangered to become extinct in the wild
• according to the Turtle Survival Alliance, the Burmese Star tortoise is now considered functionally extinct in nature
• natural populations are declining due to habitat loss and illegal collecting (pet trade, Asian medicine, food markets)
• Always buy captive-bred Stars!

Breeding

• only a few breeders in the US, fairly expensive tortoise
• said to be hardier and easier to breed in captivity than the Indian Star tortoise

Literature

• see the Star tortoise books page

Indian vs Burmese Stars

• see the Indian vs Burmese Star tortoise page