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Context: Indian star tortoise faces twin challenges of habitat loss and genetic diversity, finds study

Details:

• The species is facing twin challenges of a threat to its habitat at one level and loss of its genetic diversity at the other.
• The calls for a proper conservation strategy to combat the fragmented distribution and explicitly recommends intensive genetic screening of founder individuals or isolated adult colonies by implementing scientific breeding

Facts:

• KINGDOM: Animalia
• PHYLUM: Chordata
• SUBPHYLUM: Vertebrata
• CLASS: Reptilia
• ORDER: Testudines
• SUBORDER: Cryptodira
• SUPERFAMILY: Testudinoidea
• FAMILY: Testudinidae
• GENUS: Geochelone
• SPECIES: Geochelone elegans

About:

• The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans ) is a threatened tortoise species native to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka where it inhabits dry areas and scrub forest.
• It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2016, as the population is thought to comprise more than 10,000 individuals, but with a declining trend.
• It is threatened by habitat loss and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade.
• It was upgraded to CITES Appendix I in 2019 by full consensus among all member states, giving it the highest level of international protection from commercial trade.
• Conservation group TRAFFIC found 6,040 were seized globally that were intended to be sold in the pet trade.
• LIFE SPAN: 25-80 YRS
• LENGTH: 15-38 CM
• Crepuscular
• Herbivore, Folivore , Frugivore
• Terrestrial
• Precocial
• Polygynandry
• Solitary
• Not a migrant

Map showing the distribution of  Geochelone elegans.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/indian-star-tortoise-faces-twin-challenges-of-habitat-loss-and-genetic-diversity-finds-study/article66397486.ece

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