Asian Giant Tortoise, Key Features and Conservation Status

Asian Giant Tortoise, Key Features, Habitat and Conservation Status

Learn about the critically endangered Asian Giant Tortoise, one of the largest tortoises in the world. Discover its habitat, diet, and the conservation efforts being made to protect this species from extinction.

Context: The Asian giant tortoise has been reintroduced into the Zeliang Community Reserve in Nagaland’s Peren.

About the Asian Giant Tortoise

The largest land tortoise in mainland Asia.
Geographical Distribution: Found in the tropical and subtropical forests of India (mainly Northeast: Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia & Indonesia.
Preferred Habitat: Dense, moist lowland and hill forests rich in leaf litter and undergrowth.

Key Features

Diurnal, solitary, and thrives in humid conditions
Herbivorous – eats leaves, fruits, mushrooms, and decomposing plant matter.
Nicknamed “small elephant of the forest” because it aids in seed dispersal by consuming fruits and defecating seeds over large distances.
- Helps in nutrient cycling and forest regeneration.
Maternal Behaviour: Females build above-ground nests and exhibit maternal care (rare in tortoises)
- One of the very few tortoise species that guards its nest after laying eggs.