Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) is located 18 km north of Marayoor on SH 17 in the Marayoor and Kanthalloor panchayats of Devikulam taluk in the Idukki district of Kerala state in South India. It is one of twelve wildlife sanctuaries among the protected areas of Kerala. There is a trekking route on which tourists are taken to scale the hills.
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) is located 18 km north of Marayoor on SH 17 in the Marayoor and Kanthalloor panchayats of Devikulam taluk in the Idukki district of Kerala state in South India. It is one of twelve wildlife sanctuaries among the protected areas of Kerala. There is a trekking route on which tourists are taken to scale the hills.
I have been on that route for at least 30 times but this is the first time I have seen this beautiful star-studded tortoise. It immediately withdrew into the shell when it saw us. So we moved a little further away. After it felt safe, it came out of the shell and started moving towards the buses nearby.
I took some photographs and left the tortoise in peace. This tortoise is probably a female as it's plastrons are quite flat. Male tortoises plastrons are concave in shape. I was told by my guide that it is very rare to sight a tortoise in the trek route.
More about the Star Tortoise
The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is a threatened species of tortoise found in dry areas and scrub forest in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This species is quite popular in the exotic pet trade, which is the main reason it is endangered. Conservation group TRAFFIC found 6,040 were seized globally that were intended to be sold in the pet trade.
The Indian star tortoise can grow up to 10 inches long. The sexual dimorphism of adult Indian star tortoises is quite apparent. Females are considerably larger than their male counterparts. In addition, the females' plastrons are much flatter than those of the males, which have a concave shape.
The shape of this creature is presumed to be specially adapted to naturally assist it to return to a stable stance after it has been turned over.
They are mostly herbivorous and feed on grasses, fallen fruit, flowers, and leaves of succulent plants, and will occasionally eat carrion. In captivity, however, they should never be fed meat.
Information source:
Wikipedia contributors. "Indian star tortoise." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 May. 2019. Web. 25 Aug. 2019.
Photographed in Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary, Kerala on 24/08/2019 by Balaji P B
Follow @balaji.p.b on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/balaji.p.b/)
I have been on that route for at least 30 times but this is the first time I have seen this beautiful star-studded tortoise. It immediately withdrew into the shell when it saw us. So we moved a little further away. After it felt safe, it came out of the shell and started moving towards the buses nearby.
I took some photographs and left the tortoise in peace. This tortoise is probably a female as it's plastrons are quite flat. Male tortoises plastrons are concave in shape. I was told by my guide that it is very rare to sight a tortoise in the trek route.
More about the Star Tortoise
The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is a threatened species of tortoise found in dry areas and scrub forest in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This species is quite popular in the exotic pet trade, which is the main reason it is endangered. Conservation group TRAFFIC found 6,040 were seized globally that were intended to be sold in the pet trade.
The Indian star tortoise can grow up to 10 inches long. The sexual dimorphism of adult Indian star tortoises is quite apparent. Females are considerably larger than their male counterparts. In addition, the females' plastrons are much flatter than those of the males, which have a concave shape.
The shape of this creature is presumed to be specially adapted to naturally assist it to return to a stable stance after it has been turned over.
They are mostly herbivorous and feed on grasses, fallen fruit, flowers, and leaves of succulent plants, and will occasionally eat carrion. In captivity, however, they should never be fed meat.
Information source:
Wikipedia contributors. "Indian star tortoise." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 May. 2019. Web. 25 Aug. 2019.
Photographed in Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary, Kerala on 24/08/2019 by Balaji P B
Follow @balaji.p.b on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/balaji.p.b/)