Range

Asia is the native home of the Asian forest tortoise. Here they can be found in Bangladesh; India; Indonesia; Malaysia; Myanmar; Thailand. It is unclear if they still occur in Brunei Darussalam.

The species has gone extinct in Singapore.

Habitat

They make their home in evergreen forests and lowland areas. Asian forest tortoises show a preference for humid habitats. Most of the time they are found near water.

Reproduction

These animals undergo an elaborate courtship. Males head-bob to their potential mate and also extend their neck and stare at her as she moves around.

Males will follow females and if she slows down he will attempt to mate with her. During courting both the male and female will create low groans and moans.

Unlike most tortoises they do not dig their nest in the soil. Instead they will sweep debris in to a pile using their front legs. She then burrows in to this debris and deposits the eggs there. She will climb on to the pile and defend it against predators for the next few days. This behavior represents the highest level of parental care by any chelonian.

Females also move the layers of leaves on top of their eggs around to help regulate the temperature in the nest.

The clutch deposited in to this pile may include as many as 50 eggs. Incubation length varies from 63 to 84 days.

Hatchlings and young Asian forest tortoise are colored yellowish brown with dark-brown markings.

Behavior

Asian forest tortoises are most active at twilight or during the day. They will rest during the day in warm weather.

During periods of warm weather they will soak themselves in water to cool down.

They are very slow even when threatened.

These turtles have a number of ways to communicate and are recognized as having the most elaborate communication behaviors of any tortoise. These include head bobbing and vocalizations.

Predators and Threats

Natural predators of the Asian forest tortoise include tigers, canids and bears as adults. Eggs and juveniles face predation from foxes, large lizards and birds of prey.

Their primary defense against predation is the shell in to which they can retreat.

Humans are another major threat to their survival. This includes through overharvesting for food and collection for the pet trade. Another threat is habitat destruction for logging, clearing for agriculture, forest fires and the building of hydroelectric dams.

They are poached for the illegal wildlife trade.

Quick facts

They have a number of additional names including the Burmese brown tortoise, Burmese mountain tortoise, Asian brown tortoise, brown tortoise, Asian tortoise, black giant tortoise and Asian forest tortoise.

Asian forest tortoises are thought to be the most primitive of the tortoises alive today.