From the archive record
An Indian star tortoise caught munching on the green grass in Jawai, Rajasthan. Its scientific name is 'Geochelone elegans'. They are seven to twelve inches long. Life span is at least 30 years but can survive till 80. Geochelone elegans is found in three discrete portions of the Indian subcontinent: the first is in western India and extreme southeastern Pakistan (e.g., Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh in India and the Thar Desert in Pakistan), the second is in southeastern India (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu), the third is on the island of Sri Lanka. No subspecies are recognized, although there are regional variations in color and morphology. In general, star tortoises from northern India tend to be larger and darker, with less contrasting shell patterns, than those from southern In