| Range: |
Southern and southeastern Asia, from Nepal to Malaysia |
| Habitat: |
Tropical forests in hilly areas |
| Conservation Status: |
Endangered |
| Scientific Name: |
Indotestudo elongata |
Like its name implies, this turtle has an elongated, stretched-out
appearance: its carapace (upper shell) is long -- measuring up to
12 or more inches -- and somewhat narrow. The carapace is
yellowish brown or olive and the head is pale yellow or yellowish
green. It's no surprise, then, that the elongated tortoise is
also called the yellow tortoise or yellow-headed tortoise. These
tortoises are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal
foods. Their favorite edibles include fruits, flowers, mushrooms,
slugs, and carrion (dead meat -- yummy!). They do most of their
foraging during the cooler times of day -- before dawn or after
sunset. In the early part of the rainy season, the
tortoises turn their attention to courtship and mating. But don't
expect the males to gently woo their chosen mates! On the
contrary, the male idea of courtship includes ramming the female and
biting her head, neck, and front legs. (Ouch!) The female
uses her back legs to dig a nest about six to eight inches deep.
She lays two to four large eggs in the nest, then replaces the soil
with her back legs and tamps it down with her bottom shell. The
eggs can hatch either sooner (after about four and a half months) or
later (after six or more months). Elongated
tortoises are in serious trouble in the wild. In recent years,
hundreds have been captured for the pet trade and thousands caught and
sold as food in Asian markets. Although there are laws designed
to control the international trade in elongated tortoises, the laws
need greater enforcement to be effective. You can help by not buying an elongated tortoise as a pet. Did You Know?During
the breeding season, both males and females develop a bright pink tint
around the eyes and nostrils. For this reason, the species is
known by yet another common name, the red-nosed
tortoise.
|
