Indotestudo elongata (Blyth, 1854) – Elongated Tortoise, Yellow-headed Tortoise, Yellow Tortoise

The Elongated Tortoise, Indotestudo elongata (Family Testudinidae), is a mediumsized tortoise with a straight carapace length of up to 360 mm. The species is sexually dimorphic; among the morphological differences between the sexes, males and females differ in facial coloration during the breeding season. Indotestudo elongata inhabits low to mid-elevation habitats in Southeast Asia: open deciduous dipterocarp forests, grasslands, bamboo forests, secondary forests, and hilly evergreen forests. The species is a generalist omnivore. In the wild, courtship and mating take place at the beginning of the rainy season. Clutches of up to 10 eggs are laid toward the end of the wet period ; hatchlings emerge from the nest at the beginning of the subsequent rainy season. The species is heavily exploited by humans for food and traditional medicine across its range. In addition, I. elongata is greatly affected by habitat destruction, fragmentation, and loss. As a result, although protected by international and national regulations, the species has undergone severe population declines. Recommended conservation measures include greater enforcement of wildlife protection laws, conservation breeding and monitored releases of tortoises, and continued research.