Variety Overview
The Burmese tortoise, also known as the elongated tortoise (Elongated Tortoise), is one of the most commonly found tortoises on the market. In China, they are primarily found in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces. Although they frequently appear in farmers’ markets and pet shops across other provinces and cities, these tortoises are not native to those regions. Most of them are imported from Southeast Asia before being distributed locally. Due to resource depletion in recent years, nearly all Burmese tortoises now rely on imports or are smuggled by some traders.
Outside of China, the Burmese tortoise is mainly found from northeastern India to Vietnam and the Malay Peninsula. This includes countries like Nepal, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), and Cambodia. The highest populations are concentrated in Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), southern Vietnam, and Laos. Because people in these regions consider them a resource animal and capture them without restrictions for sale—especially with significant smuggling activities—their numbers have sharply declined. Even today, Burmese tortoises can often be seen sold as wild game in farmers’ markets in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces.
Morphological Features and Identification
The carapace measures around 20 cm in length. It has a medium-sized head featuring a pair of frontal scales and a large, often split frontal scale on top; other scales are small and irregularly shaped. The snout is short with finely serrated jaw edges. The back is tall with an elongated carapace and relatively flat ridge; it has a single anal shield that curves downward. The plastron is large with a thick, flat front edge and deeply notched rear edge. Its limbs are robust and cylindrical; forelimbs have 5 claws each, with no webbing between fingers or toes. The tail is short, ending in a claw-like keratinous projection that is more pronounced in males. When alive, its head appears pale yellow-green, its body yellow-green with irregular black spots on each scute; its limbs are brown marked by irregular black spots.
Maintenance Tips
Burmese tortoises are highly adaptable to their environments. However, when purchasing a new tortoise, it’s crucial to set up its habitat before bringing it home. If you buy the tortoise first and then arrange its environment later, there’s a high chance that it could fall ill in between.
Once you’ve brought your Burmese tortoise home, give it a bath right away. The stress from transportation often causes them to urinate and defecate excessively, resulting in a strong odor. Use warm water between 35 to 40 degrees Celsius for bathing and clean off any dirt on its body during this process. This typically takes about 15 minutes.
Next, you’ll need to prepare a new habitat for your tortoise. I recommend equipping your enclosure with a 5.0 UVB light, UVA heating lamp, night light, heating pad, tortoise house (shelter), water dish, food dish, and both thermometer and hygrometer. Bark-based substrates are ideal as they retain moisture well and are easy to clean. If your room temperature naturally hovers around 30 degrees Celsius with little or no additional heating required, you might not need heating pads or ceramic heaters at all. Wall-mounting heating pads is advisable since a tortoise’s body temperature adjusts based on inhaled air; placing heaters below won’t effectively raise its internal temperature.
Burmese tortoises thrive in high-humidity environments with levels maintained between 60-70%. To achieve this humidity level if it’s too low initially: place water dishes around its habitat; add small plants; spray water regularly; or consider using a humidifier if necessary. Alternatively—if space and room conditions allow—you could also opt for free-range husbandry within your home.
Breeding Information
Burmese star tortoises typically start their mating season in May, with peak activity occurring between July and August. During this time, a male tortoise will follow a female closely. When she pauses, he will position himself in front of her, extend his neck, and repeatedly nod his head up and down. He may also gently touch her head with his mouth to keep her from moving away.