Size
26 - 30 centimeters
(10 - 12 inches)
Diet
Coarse leaves, weeds, and dry grasses
Range
Burmese Star Tortoise range
Fact
Because of their tropical habitat, Burmese star tortoises do not hibernate.
Making A Difference
The Burmese star tortoise is Critically Endangered. It was considered extinct in the wild in the early 2000s due to habitat destruction and illegal collection for the pet, food, and medicine trades. Wildlife sanctuaries and zoos in Asia and the US have worked with the Myanmar Forest Department, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Turtle Survival Alliance to create breeding assurance colonies and develop the research and infrastructure to release Burmese star tortoises back into the wild. An original group of 200 tortoises, mostly confiscated from illegal wildlife traffickers in 2004, has grown to 20,000 in captive breeding facilities, with over 8,000 released back into the wild. Burmese star tortoises have started to successfully reproduce again in their natural habitats.
An assurance colony is a group of an endangered species kept in human care until they can be safely released into their native habitat.
Assurance colony of Burmese star tortoise
