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| Star Tortoise Treasury | * Indian, Sri Lankan, and Burmese Star Tortoises... plus a few other tortoises... |
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Indian Star Tortoise
Burmese Star Tortoise Other Starred Tortoises Angulate Tortoise Misc. Pages
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Indian vs Burmese Star Tortoise What's the difference?
Burmese Star tortoise The Indian Star tortoise, Geochelone elegans, is native to India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Star tortoise is a geographical variant of the Indian Star tortoise. It can be difficult to tell Indian and Sri Lankan Stars apart, unless you know what area they came from. As adults, Sri Lankan Stars tend to be larger. The Burmese Star tortoise, Geochelone platynota, is from Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is also called the Myanmar Star tortoise. Indian and Burmese Stars are related, but they are separate species. Both species come from dry areas and require similar diet and care. Both Indian and Burmese Star tortoises have yellow shells with dark brown or black patterns, even though it looks like they are dark with yellow stripes. Carapace (top shell) The Burmese Star tortoises have a very clear six-point, or less, pattern on most of their vertebral (top) and costal (side) scutes. In contrast, each star pattern on the Indian Star has more than six lines and the number varies among individuals. The number of these radiating lines on the Indian Star increases as the tortoise grows. In the wild, Burmese Star tortoises typically have smooth shells, but Indian/Sri Lankan Stars may be smooth or 'lumpy' with conical scutes. Neither species has a nuchal scale (scute behind the head). Per CITES identification guide, Indian Star tortoises have five vertebral scutes, but Burmese Stars may have five or six.
The Burmese Star tortoise has a clear pattern of six or less radiating lines in each star shape. Rays in the star patterns meet each other exactly and form a beautiful net pattern. The number of lines does not increase with age.
Indian and Sri Lankan Star tortoise grow more lines with aging. Eventually, each star pattern will have eight or more radiating lines. In Indian and Sri Lankan Stars, many star rays are dead-end lines and the rays do not always meet exactly.
Young Sri Lankan Star. Beginnnings of new lines are showing as yellow spots. 
Burmese Star tortoises have a fairly even slope in the front and back of the carapace. The top of the shell is shaped kinda like an oval.
Some Indian Star tortoises, especially Sri Lankan Stars (pic), may be higher domed and have a somewhat steeper carapace slope than Burmese Star tortoises. Plastron (bottom shell) Indian Star tortoises have beautiful star patterns on their plastrons as well. The two middle stars look like suns with rays or multi-striated pinwheels. The plastron of the Burmese Star is yellow with dark spots which are often shaped like triangles. It has no radiating lines.
Indian & Sri Lankan Stars have stripes and sunbursts on their plastrons. However, these markings are not present in hatchlings. It can be difficult to differentiate newly hatched Indian and Burmese Stars from each other.
Burmese Star tortoises have dark spots on the plastrons, no stars. Head and limbs Head and legs are yellow or light brown in both species. Burmese Star tortoises often have solid yellow heads and legs, while Indian and Sri Lankan Stars tend to be more spotted. Front legs are heavily scaled in both Stars.
Sri Lankan Star tortoise
Burmese Star tortoise Behavior and personality In captivity, Burmese Star tortoises are said to be hardier, easier to breed, and more cold tolerant than Indian and Sri Lankan Star tortoises. Further, Sri Lankans are said to be hardier than Indian Stars. In general, my Burmese and Sri Lankan Star tortoises' behavior and habits seem to be very much the same. They all like same foods, and they are all active during same times of day. My Stars are busy mornings and afternoons, and the rest of the day they are often hiding or sleeping. Sometimes it seems that my Burmese Stars are a little bit more active, and other times it seems that my Sri Lankans are. When they are not eating or basking, they all like to hide under plants or in their hide boxes. None of them are diggers or burrowers, and they aren't climbers either. When my Burmese and Sri Lankans get alarmed about something in their surroundings, they pull their heads in and freeze, or just freeze, until they are sure the danger has passed. My Sri Lankans seem to be more curious when they see a new item in their enclosure. They like to explore it and give it a taste test. Both species have adjusted equally to my handling of them, for example, bathing and moving them between indoor and outdoor pens. They all drink from their water bowls occasionally, inside and outdoors, but none of them soak themselves. However, they do seem to enjoy the soaks I give them. Because mine live on a dry substrate when indoors, I bathe them every 1-2 days. During the spring, summer, and fall they spend days in their outside enclosures. Outdoors, each one of them has his or her favorite plant to hide under. |
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