• Home
• Sitemap

Burmese & Indian / Sri Lankan Star Tortoises
(G. platynota & G. elegans)

• Books
• Profile - Burmese
• Profile - Indian / Sri
• Indian vs Burmese
• Patterns
• Personality
• Male vs female
• Breeding
• Eggs & incubation
• Diet & foods
• Bowls & dishes
• Housing - indoors
• Housing - outdoors
• Housing - tables
• Housing - allergics
• Lighting / heating
• Substrates - general
• Substrates - allergics
• Hideboxes
• Caresheet
• Misc. care tips
• Pyramiding
• Fecal exams
• Photos - Burmese
• Photos - Indian / Sri
• Star fun
• Star gifts *

Other Stars

• Starred tortoises
• Radiated tortoise

Angulate Tortoise
(Chersina angulata)

• Books
• Profile
• Care
• Male vs female
• Breeding
• Eggs & incubation
• Photos

Misc. Pages

• Supplies
• Rescue
• Popular tortoises
• Getting a tortoise
• General care
• UVB readings
• Kids' page
• Linking etc.
• Guestbook
• Links

Indian / Sri Lankan & Burmese Star Tortoises

Pattern development

The star pattern is quite variable among Geochelone elegans. Some G. elegans have wide stripes, some have narrow stripes, some have many stripes, some have fewer stripes. Photo courtesy of Philip Chan.

Pattern Development

Burmese Star tortoises (Geochelone platynota) do not develop new radiating lines as they grow. What you see is what you get. :O)

Indian / Sri Lankan Star tortoises (Geochelone elegans) develop more radiating lines as they grow. On babies, new lines start out as little yellow spots.

See the Indian / Sri Lankan vs Burmese Star (G. elegans vs G. platynota) page for more info on the differences between the two species.

Pattern Example 1 - Burmese Star Tortoise

Burmese Star tortoise (Geochelone platynota) baby

Growing

Growing

The ugly duckling turned into a swan! :O)

Pattern Example 2 - Indian Star Tortoise

Male Indian Star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) baby weighing 23 grams.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Hewitt.

The same tortoise three years later at 245 grams.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Hewitt.

Pattern Example 3 - Sri Lankan Star Tortoise

Sri Lankan Star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) baby.
Notice the little yellow spots.

The little spots are getting a bit longer

The little spots start looking like lines

The lines are getting longer

Adult pattern