>Phoebus 28 at 08:18, 23 April 2021

2021-04-23T08:18:38Z

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{{Short description|Species of tortoise}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Elongated tortoise
| image = Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) - Thailand 1.jpg
| image_caption = Elongated tortoise in [[Dusit Zoo]]
| status = CR
| status_system = IUCN2.3
| status_ref = <ref>https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10824/498879</ref>
| genus = Indotestudo
| species = elongata
| authority = ([[Edward Blyth|Blyth]], 1853)
| synonyms =
* ''Testudo elongata'' Blyth, 1853
* ''Peltastes elongatus'' Gray, 1869
* ''Testudo parallelus'' Annandale, 1913
* ''Indotestudo elongata'' Bourret, 1941
* ''Geochelone elongata'' Pritchard, 1967
* ''Indotestudo elongata elongata'' Obst, 1985
* ''Geochelone elongata elongata'' Gosławski & Hryniewicz, 1993
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="Fritz 2007">{{cite journal |journal=Vertebrate Zoology |title=Checklist of Chelonians of the World |year=2007 |author=Uwe, Fritz |author2=Havaš, Peter |volume=57 |issue=2 |pages=283–284 |issn=1864-5755 |url=http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/851.pdf |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5v20ztMND?url=http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/851.pdf |archive-date=2010-12-17 |access-date=29 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| range_map =
| range_map_caption =
}}

The '''elongated tortoise''' (''Indotestudo elongata'') is a species of [[tortoise]] found in [[Southeast Asia]] and parts of the [[Indian Subcontinent]], particularly [[Nepal]].

==Description==
[[File:Indotestudo elongata Pengo.jpg|thumb|left|Juvenile (584 days old)]]
Shell considerably depressed, more than twice as long as deep, with flat vertebral region; anterior and posterior margins slightly reverted, strongly serrated in young, feebly in old specimens; shields concentrically striated, except in old specimens; nuchal present (rarely absent), narrow and elongate; supracaudal undivided, more or less incurved; first vertebral usually nearly as long as broad in the adult, the others broader than long and nearly as broad as the costals. Plastron large, truncate anteriorly, deeply notched posteriorly; suture between the pectoral shields as long as or longer than that between the humerals; suture between the gulars as long as or a little shorter than that between the pectorals; anals forming a very short suture, or entirely separated by the anal notch; axillary and inguinal moderate. Head moderate; a pair of large praefrontal shields, usually followed by a nearly equally large frontal; beak feebly hooked, tricuspid; alveolar ridge of upper jaw short and rather feeble. Anterior face of fore limbs with moderate, unequal-sized, imbricate scales, which are largest towards the outer side; no enlarged tubercles on the thighs; tail ending in a claw-like horny tubercle. Carapace and plastron greenish yellow, each shield with an irregular black spot or blotch, which may occupy its greater portion, or may be much broken up or indistinct.<ref>Boulenger, G. A. (1890) ''Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia''</ref>

===Size===
Typically, ''Indotestudo elongata'' are around 30 cm (12 inches) long and 3.5 kg (7 pounds) as an adult. Females tend to be wider than males and more rounded. Males also have a tail that is much larger than that of the female. The males have a concave plastron while the plastron of a female is flat. Additionally, the female's posterior claws are markedly longer and more curved than those of the male. It is believed that this is to facilitate nest building.<ref>[http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/elongatacare.htm Tortoise care]. Chelonia.org. Retrieved on 2015-11-11.</ref>

==Distribution==
The species is found in India (Tripura, Jalpaiguri, East Bengal, and Singhbhum in Jharkhand), Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma (or Myanmar), Laos, Thailand (incl. Phuket), Cambodia, Vietnam, Western Malaysia, Southern China. Type locality: Arakan, Tenasserim, Burma.

===Tortoise village===
This species of tortoise can be seen everywhere in Ban Kok, a [[muban|village]] in Suan Mon sub-district, [[Amphoe Mancha Khiri|Mancha Khiri district]] about {{convert|50|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} from [[Khon Kaen]] city in [[Isan]] (northeastern) Thailand. These tortoises habitually coexisted with the villagers with nothing to harm them for more than 200 years since the village was founded. They are locally known as ''tao pek'' (เต่าเพ็ก).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/turtle-village|work=TAT|title=Turtle Village}}</ref>
==Threats and conservation==
[[File:Elongated Tortoises and Slider terrapins for sale - Jade Emperor Pagoda - Ho Chi Minh City.jpg|thumb|left|Elongated tortoises for sale, outside the Jade Emperor Pagoda, [[Ho Chi Minh City]], [[Vietnam]].]]
The elongated tortoise is an [[endangered species]] and is in severe decline across its natural range.<ref>[http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/10824/0 Indotestudo elongata (Elongated Tortoise, Pineapple Tortoise, Red-nosed Tortoise, Yellow-headed Tortoise, Yellow Tortoise)]. Iucnredlist.org (2000-06-30). Retrieved on 2015-11-11.</ref>

The principal threats to this species are the mass harvesting of the remaining wild populations for the large and growing food markets in [[China]] and elsewhere in East Asia. It is also incorrectly believed in China that a mixture, made by grinding up the tortoise's shell, serves as an aphrodisiac.<ref>[http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/shwesettaw.html Tortoise Trust Web – A SECURE HABITAT]. Tortoisetrust.org (1999-08-06). Retrieved on 2015-11-11.</ref>

In addition, other threats are [[habitat destruction]] and illegal collecting for the pet trade.<ref>Ernst, C.H. and Barbour,R.W. (1989) ''Turtles of the World''. Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington.</ref>

==Elongated tortoises in captivity==
In their natural habitat these tortoises browse a wide variety of plants. Likewise in captivity, they require a very wide range of foods, not just one type of vegetable. Their diet is principally a range of vegetables and edible leaves, however they also consume meat, snails, eggs and other food types. This serves to supplement their diet. Vegetables alone are not sufficiently varied.<ref>[http://www.tortoise.org/archives/elongata.html CTTC – The Elongated Tortoise, Indotestudo elongata by Betsy McCormick]. Tortoise.org. Retrieved on 2015-11-11.</ref><ref>[http://www.tortoisesanctuary.org/indotestudo-elongata-feeding-habits-in-the-wild/ Indotestudo Elongata feeding habits in the wild | North Texas Tortoise Sanctuary & Conservation Center]. Tortoisesanctuary.org. Retrieved on 2015-11-11.</ref>

This tropical species does not survive in cold climates. Those exported to Europe and North America for the pet trade usually suffer, and soon die, if they are not given special indoor care.
They also require a constant water source, for bathing and drinking. Being reptiles, which cannot control their body temperature internally, they require a varied area in which they can access both sun and shade. This allows them to move around and thus to regulate and maintain their body temperature constant.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080711043338/http://www.reptilesweb.com/reptiles-section/tortoise-world/elongated-tortoise.html Elongated Tortoise]. reptilesweb.com</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Blyth, E. 1854 Notices and descriptions of various reptiles, new or little-known. Part I. J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 22 [1853]: 639–655
* Gray, J.E. 1857 Notice of some Indian tortoises (including the description of a new species presented to the British Museum by Professor Oldham). Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) 19: 342–344
* Iverson, John B., Phillip Q. Spinks, H. Bradley Shaffer, William P. McCord and Indraneil Das 2001 Phylogenetic relationships among the Asian tortoises of the genus Indotestudo (Reptilia: Testudines: Testudinidae). Hamadryad 26 (2):271–274

==External links==
{{Commons category|Indotestudo elongata}}
* {{NRDB species|genus=Indotestudo|species=elongata}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080711043338/http://www.reptilesweb.com/reptiles-section/tortoise-world/elongated-tortoise.html Elongated Tortoise]

{{Testudinidae}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q846001}}

[[Category:Indotestudo]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Myanmar]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Cambodia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of China]]
[[Category:Reptiles of India]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Laos]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Nepal]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Thailand]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Vietnam]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1853]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Edward Blyth]]

Elongated tortoise - Revision history

>Phoebus 28 at 08:18, 23 April 2021