Asian Giant Tortoise

Asian Giant Tortoise Latest News

Recently, the Asian giant tortoise, the largest tortoise in mainland Asia, has been reintroduced into the Zeliang Community Reserve in Nagaland’s Peren district.

About Asian Giant Tortoise

• The Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys phayrei) is the largest tortoise in Asia.
• It is considered to be one of the oldest tortoise lineages in the world. And these ancient tortoises share an interesting behavior with many crocodilians—to protect their eggs and maintain appropriate temperatures for incubation.
• Appearance: As hatchlings, these tortoises appear a grayish brown, and become more charcoal colored as they mature into adulthood.
• Habitat: The Asian Giant Tortoise can be found in the tropical and subtropical hill forests.
• Distribution: They are found in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia and other places.
• Diet: Bamboo shoots, tubers and other juicy vegetation and some invertebrates and frogs.
• Threats: Hunting for consumption, habitat loss, anthropogenic activities like construction and slash and burn.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN: Critically Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix II

Source: TH

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