Geochelone

Geochelone
Geochelone elegans
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Geochelone Fitzinger, 1835
Species
G. elegans G. platynota

Geochelone is a genus of tortoises.

Geochelone tortoises, which are also known as typical tortoises or terrestrial turtles, can be found in Africa and Asia. They primarily eat plants.

The genus consists of two extant species:

• Indian star tortoise (G. elegans)
• Burmese star tortoise (G. platynota)

There are two extinct species that inhabited the Canary Islands:

• Tenerife giant tortoise (G. burchardi)^[1]
• Gran Canaria giant tortoise (G. vulcanica)^[2]

A number of tortoise species have been recently removed from the genus. This taxon as formerly defined was "polyphyletic, representing at least four independent clades".^[3] Tortoises removed include members of Aldabrachelys (from the Seychelles and Madagascar), Astrochelys^[4] (Madagascar), Chelonoidis (South America and the Galápagos Islands), Stigmochelys^[4] (Africa) and earlier, the extinct genus Colossochelys (southern Asia).

"Self-righting" shell

The form of the shell of the Indian star tortoise resembles a gömböc, allowing it to turn over when lying upside down very easily.

References

• Geochelone Report in Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved January 12, 2008.

External links

• Chaco tortoise media at ARKive
  
• Care tips

Tortoise family of turtles (Testudinidae)
Genus	Species of the tortoise family
Aldabrachelys	Aldabra giant tortoise
Astrochelys	Angonoka tortoise Radiated tortoise
Chelonoidis	Yellow-footed tortoise Chaco tortoise Galápagos tortoise Red-footed tortoise
Chersina	Angulate tortoise
Centrochelys	African spurred tortoise
Cylindraspis†	Domed Mauritius giant tortoise† Domed Rodrigues giant tortoise† Réunion giant tortoise† Saddle-backed Mauritius giant tortoise† Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise†
Geochelone	Burmese star tortoise Indian star tortoise
Gopherus	Bolson tortoise Desert tortoise Gopher tortoise Sonoran Desert tortoise Texas tortoise
Homopus	Common padloper Nama padloper Karoo padloper Greater padloper Speckled padloper
Indotestudo	Elongated tortoise Forsten's tortoise Travancore tortoise
Kinixys	Bell's hinge-back tortoise Forest hinge-back tortoise Home's hinge-back tortoise Lobatse hinge-back tortoise Natal hinge-back tortoise Speke's hinge-back tortoise
Malacochersus	Pancake tortoise
Manouria	Asian forest tortoise Impressed tortoise
Psammobates	Geometric tortoise Serrated tortoise Tent tortoise
Pyxis	Flat-backed spider tortoise Spider tortoise
Stigmochelys	Leopard tortoise
Testudo	Hermann's tortoise Kleinmann's tortoise Marginated tortoise Russian tortoise Spur-thighed tortoise
Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2012 update: annotated checklist. Key: †=extinct.