INDIAN STAR TORTOISES

About:

• Scientific name: Geochelone elegans.
  
  
• Habitat: Inhabit a variety of dry vegetation types, including scrublands, grasslands, desert edges and agricultural landscapes of fields.
  
  
• Distribution: They are found in three areas –
  • North-western India (Gujarat, Rajasthan) and adjoining south-eastern Pakistan;
    
    
  • eastern and southern areas of India (from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and eastern Karnataka to Odisha); and
    
    
  • throughout Sri Lanka.
    
    
  
  
  
• Threat: Illegal smuggling for use as exotic pets in Asian countries (Thailand, China, and Malaysia) is the major concern.
  
  
• IUCN status:
  
  
• Legal protection in India:
  • Listed in the Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
    
    
  • Prohibited from export under the Foreign Trade Policy.
    
    
  • Can be confiscated under the Customs Act, 1962.