Starshells: The Burmese Star Tortoise And The Indian Star Tortoise

The rare Burmese star tortoise is one of the world’s most beautiful tortoises, with radiating star-shaped bumps on its domed carapace. Reptile expert and breeder Melvin So explains, “Burmese Stars originated in Myanmar/Burma. This species is close to extinction because it is eaten by the Burmese locals, and is being exported to neighboring food markets such as China. Now they are considered one of the rarest tortoises in the world.

- Cliff Sawit

They’re listed by the ICUN as critically endangered, and are considered to be CITES Appendix 1.”Which Of These Tortoises…

To the untrained eye, Burmese and Indian stars look the same. But look closely and you will notice that Burmese Stars have a very clear six-point pattern on most of their scutes, both vertebral and costal. On the other hand, the pattern on adult Indian stars has more than six lines, and the number of these radiating lines increase while they are growing. “In short,” Melvin says, “Indian Stars grow more lines with age.”

Melvin explains the difference between the Burmese Star and the Indian Star tortoises thus: “The Burmese star (Geochelone platynota)…is a species from Myanmar/Burma. On the other hand, the Indian or Sri Lankan Star (Geochelone elegans) is found in India and Sri Lanka. These two species are related, but they are different species, not simply mutations [of one or the other].”

So how did this endangered tortoise end up in the Philippines? “People have been smuggling the Burmese Star into the Philippines since the early 90s, and they are very popular in the pet market,” Melvin says, “People who lack the proper knowledge always end up mistaking them for Indian stars, because of the similar radiating patterns on their carapace.”

Keep them thriving