Distribution
They are found in lowland regions of north-western, northern, north-central, eastern & south eastern Sri Lanka. Also they are found in Pakistan & north western & southern India.

Characteristics
This is a land tortoise. It is very unmistakable due to the star-like pattern on both the carapace & plastron. The shell is domed shaped & more elongated in adults. It’s rounded in shape in juveniles & domed dorsally in flattened sides. The upper jaw is weak & bicuspid or tricuspid. The thigh has distinct tubercles.

Males
The adult male grows up to 118-252mm.

Length
They grow up to a length of 154-238mm (average).

Weight

Color
Carapace & plastron has yellow star marks with a pattern of brown or black or beige. The juveniles are more prominently shows the dark colour.

Habitat
They are found in scrub forests & edges of deserts, agricultural fields, forests of Teak, grasslands & thorn shrub up to the elevation of 300m.

Breeding
The adult female grows up to 191-225.6mm. Nesting occurs in monsoonal rain months such as August to February. . Female tortoises dig nesting burrows in which they lay from clutch 2-10 eggs. The eggs are laid at night & then cover the eggs with sand, soil, and organic material. The eggs are left unattended. It takes about 47-178 days to incubate. The size of the egg depends on the size of the mother and can be estimated by examining the width of the cloacal opening between the carapace and plastron. The plastron of a female tortoise often has a noticeable V-shaped notch below the tail to facilitate passing the eggs. The eggs are hard shelled, & brittle. Also they are ellipsoidal

Upon completion of the incubation period, a fully-formed hatchling uses an egg tooth to break out of its shell. It digs to the surface of the nest.  Hatchlings are born with an embryonic egg sac which serves as a source of nutrition for the first 3-7 days until they have the strength and mobility to find food. Juvenile tortoises can consume worms or insect larvae until they grow up.

Diet
These tortoises are herbivores, feeding on grazing grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers, and some fruits. They’re also known to scavenge on animal matter though high protein is not required for them.

Identification
They can be identified by possessing columnar legs, rounded shells & heavy scales on the limbs.

Human impact & dangers
Their lives have been put in danger by the collection of them to the pet trade & through habitat destruction including forest fires associated with Chena cultivation. Also the excess uses of agro chemicals increase the death rates of them.

Conservation
According to the IUCN red list these tortoises are vulnerable

Myths & believes
In Hinduism, Kurma was the second avatar of Vishnu which is a tortoise of this kind.