Indian Star Tortoise

The Indian star tortoise is a tortoise native to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, where it lives in dry areas and scrub forest. The carapace is very convex, with the shields often forming humps, the sides nearly vertical, and the rear margin somewhat expanded and strongly serrated. There is no nuchal scute, and the shields are strongly striated concentrically (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is threatened by habitat loss and by poaching for the illegal pet trade, and was upgraded to CITES Appendix I in 2019, giving it the highest level of protection from commercial trade. It is also widely bred as a pet. Nationally Near Threatened (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012).