Indian Star Tortoise
Geochelone elegans
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassTestudines
- FamilyTestudinidae (Tortoises)
- GenusGeochelone
- SpeciesGeochelone elegans (Indian Star Tortoise)
The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is a threatened tortoise species native to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka where it inhabits dry areas and scrub forest. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2016, as the population is thought to comprise more than 10,000 individuals, but with a declining trend. It is threatened by habitat loss and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. It was upgraded to CITES Appendix I in 2019 by full consensus among all member states, giving it the highest level of international protection from commercial trade. Conservation group TRAFFIC found 6,040 were seized globally that were intended to be sold in the pet trade. Currently they are commonly bred in many countries to be sold as pets. Wikipedia →
60–70% of wildlife watchers report a Indian Star Tortoise sighting in Wilpattu National Park, based on 42 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 4 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Indian Star Tortoise in Wilpattu National Park?
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Indian Star Tortoise sighting in Wilpattu National Park, based on 42 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Indian Star Tortoise in Wilpattu National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Indian Star Tortoise in Wilpattu National Park in our monthly data.