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Myanmar's rivers flow from the Himalayan Mountains to the Bay of Bengal and boast an incredible diversity of turtles. Less well known is the country's dry interior, which is home to one of the world’s most endangered tortoises.
Twenty years ago, scientists considered the Burmese Star Tortoise ecologically extinct, meaning few remained in the wild. Emerging commercial markets in China, on top of long-term subsistence hunting and habitat loss, pushed populations to the brink. But thanks to a successful breeding and rearing program, approximately 2,500 Burmese Star Tortoises now range across a handful of wildlife sanctuaries in Myanmar.
In this fact sheet, learn about the biology of the Burmese Star Tortoise and how biologists, Myanmar communities and governments, and sanctuary patrol teams are working together to secure this reptile's recovery.
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