Burmese Star Tortoise Views
The Burmese star tortoise (Geochelone platynota) is becoming extinct in its native Myanmar (Burma). It lives in the dry, deciduous forest, and is eaten both by the native Burmese, and is traded to the Chinese, where it is sometimes found in the food markets. It is on CITES Appendix II, meaning a permit from the country of export is required. Reportedly, Myanmar has never granted an export permit, meaning most captive bred are originally from illegal tortoises, or imports grandfathered in prior to the CITES listing. Yadanabon Zoological Gardens is currently engaged in a captive breeding program to increase the population of this tortoise.
This tortoise can easily be distinguished from the more common Indian star tortoise by comparing the plastrons of the two species. It is considered critically endangered by the IUCN. One recent expedition searched for the Burmese star for 400 hours with specially trained dogs and 5 volunteers and only found 5 tortoises.
Tortoise poop should be dark in color and firm in texture. If your tortoise's feces are constantly lighter green and loose, he may have internal parasites, or he may be eating an incorrect diet. The higher the coarse fiber content in the food, the more undigested plant pieces can be seen in the poop. Here's a photo of one of my Burmese Star's poop. :O)
Indian (incl. Sri Lankans) and Burmese Star tortoises 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.
Burmese Star Tortoise Images
