ELONGATED TORTOISE : ENVIRONMENT
NEWS : In
a first, critically endangered elongated tortoise spotted in Aravallis
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS ?
The
medium-sized tortoise with a yellowish brown or olive shell and distinct black
blotches at the centre of each scute was found in Haryana's Damdama area.
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Species: Elongated Tortoise (also known
as Sal Forest Tortoise)
·
Appearance: Medium-sized, yellowish-brown
or olive shell with distinct black blotches on each scute; pink ring around
nostril during breeding season.
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Habitat: Found in open deciduous
forests, including Sal, evergreen forests, dry thorn forests, and savannah
grasslands.
·
Distribution: Northeast India, Bangladesh,
Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia; disjunct population
in Chota Nagpur plateau (eastern India).
·
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.