Burmese Tortoise

Burmese Tortoise is affordable in price and relatively easy to raise, so it is often kept as an entry-level tortoise. However, Burmese Tortoise is not a particularly easy-to-survive species, so many issues should be taken into account when raising them. C

　　Chinese name: Burmese Tortoise

　　Latin name: Indotestudoelongata

　　Alias: Yellow Elephant Turtle, Pillow Turtle, Dry Turtle

　　Kingdom: Animal Kingdom

　　Phylum: Chordate Phylum

　　Subphylum: Vertebrate Subphylum

　　Class: Reptile Class

　　Subclass: Anapsida Subclass

　　Order: Testudines Order

　　Suborder: Cryptodira Suborder

　　Family: Testudinidae Family

　　Genus: Indotestudo Genus

　　Species: Burmese Tortoise

　　Distribution area: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, Malaysia, and Guangxi, China.

　　Living habits: Burmese Tortoise usually resides in humid tangerine forests, but has also been observed on barren land in India under hot and dry conditions. Burmese Tortoise inhabits mountainous areas, hills, and shrubby jungles.

　　Breeding habits: Burmese Tortoise usually mate from May, and July and August are the peak mating season. When the male turtle is in heat, it follows the female turtle, and when the female turtle stops, the male turtle climbs in front of the female turtle, stretches its head and neck, moves up and down continuously, and occasionally touches the female turtle's head with its mouth to prevent the female turtle from climbing.

　　Appearance characteristics: Its head and the area around the nostrils are pale yellow, and there are tooth-like protrusions on the upper jaw. The carapace is high and connected to the plastron, about 26 cm long. The carapace is green-yellow with irregular black spots; the plastron is yellow. The limbs are stout and cylindrical, with developed scales; there are no webs between the fingers and toes.

　　Diet: Living in terrestrial grassy areas, it feeds on plant seedlings and other vegetation.

　　Protection level: It is listed as Vulnerable (VU) in the IUCN Red List and Appendix II of CITES. It is a second-level protected species in China.

In China, it is only distributed in Guangxi and Yunnan, mainly living in mountainous and hilly areas.

Burmese Tortoise usually inhabits humid pomelo forests, but it has also been observed in hot and dry conditions on Indian open ground. Burmese Tortoise inhabits mountains, hills, and shrublands.

Lovers of climbing pets are advised to raise them. The Burmese Tortoise is a second-level protected animal in the country, and a license is required for trading and breeding. However, no formalities are required for keeping them as pets.

Pest Control

  ①Enteritis

  Cause: After the turtle eats, the environmental temperature suddenly drops, the water is not clean, and spoiled feed is fed. Symptoms: Mildly diseased turtles have soft or mucous stools with a little green or yellow color, sluggish movement, and reduced food intake; severely diseased turtles may excrete watery or mucous stools in reddish or bloody color, refuse to eat, remain motionless, and have many bleeding spots on the intestinal and gastric walls.

Treatment: Eliminate the causes and provide a good feeding environment. Administer Oxytetracycline by dripping for mildly diseased turtles. For severely diseased turtles, administer Oxytetracycline by intramuscular injection at a dosage of 800,000 units per 50 kilograms of turtle once daily for 3 days as one course of treatment. Generally, 1-2 courses of treatment are sufficient for recovery. [13]

  ②Internal Parasites

  Tortoises captured from the wild or introduced from elsewhere may have parasite eggs or bodies in their system and are mostly parasitic in the stomach, intestines, lungs, liver, and other parts. The symptoms include weight loss, anorexia, and sluggishness. Medications such as albendazole, levamisole, and mebendazole can be used. To prevent the occurrence of this disease, feed should be carefully selected and cleaned, and fresh bait must be strictly disinfected and deparasitized. It is recommended to use formulated feed or cooked sweet potatoes for feeding the tortoise.

Burmese Tortoise is absolutely herbivorous. If it is an omnivorous turtle, it is easy to raise. But how can we ensure its nutrition when it only eats plants? What kind of food can provide all the necessary nutrition for Burmese Tortoise?

1. Food Choices for Burmese Tortoise

For artificially raised Burmese Tortoise, you can feed them with various vegetables and fruits. Pay attention to feeding less high-water-content foods and adjust appropriately. Burmese Tortoise is particularly sensitive to red foods, such as tomatoes, which can be used to induce new turtles to eat. Bananas with fragrance can also be used, but frequent feeding is not advocated. Please pay attention to the diversity of the food. In addition, it is said that Burmese Tortoise can be fed with a small amount of small fish, shrimp, or meat once a week, but this needs further discussion. Proper exposure to sunlight is beneficial for the healthy growth of turtles.

2. Precautions for Feeding Burmese Tortoise

Prior to hibernation, Burmese Tortoise should be observed for a period of time, including its eating and defecation. Unhealthy turtles with poor physique should not be allowed to hibernate and should be given temperature maintenance and certain treatments. Healthy turtles should be soaked in water to excrete the feces from the body. They should be placed in a fixed box indoors, with added dry sand, straw, cotton, and other insulation materials, allowing them to hibernate naturally. During this period, observe but disturb less.