Indotestudo travancorica
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
The Travancore tortoise faces severe pressure from habitat destruction as Western Ghats forests are cleared for agriculture, plantations, and human settlements. Collection for the illegal pet trade and traditional medicine has significantly reduced wild populations, while road mortality increasingly affects remaining individuals as infrastructure development fragments their forest habitat.
Habitat
This species inhabits the dense tropical forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India, preferring areas with thick leaf litter and fallen logs. They are typically found in both primary and secondary forest habitats at elevations ranging from lowlands to mid-elevation hills.