Common Name: Elongated Tortoise
Scientific Name: Indotestudo Elongata
Current Size: 2-3"
Average Adult Size: 10-12"
Area of Origin: Southeast Asia; Nepal, India, Borneo 

*We occasionally have baby tortoises that have irregular or "split scute" patterns on their shells. While many sellers won't disclose this, we consider these "B Grade" cosmetically, and offer them at a lower price. This does not affect the health of the tortoises in any way; they are just as feisty as their siblings. It's purely the look of them, and these tortoises tend to be females as they mature. It is non-genetic, and will not necessarily pass to any offspring from this animal.

Description: Cream shell color mottled with darker patterns very randomly. Most adults have an overall cream color and the darker black color is variable between tortoises; some are mostly charcoal in color. Their heads are always bright white or yellow. These tortoises have large solid black eyes, which help them see well in their preferred low light habitats. Adults are often confused with forstens tortoises. The shells of these tortoises tend to be flat on top, and overall shell shape is usually long and rectangular. 

Habitat: These tortoises prefer heavily planted enclosures with heavily shaded areas. They don't handle weather extremes very well, and should ideally be kept between about 60-95 degrees. Moderate to high humidity is preferred by them, and they like shallow water dishes of pools to soak and drink in. They do not truly hibernate, but will go through a winter slow down period during cooler weather and shortened daylengths. As adults, they can safely handle body temperatures as low as 50 degrees at night as long as they are able to heat up into the 70's during the day. Summer highs up to 95 degrees can be tolerated as long as there is a cooler, shaded retreat the tortoise can get into. Moisture is not a problem in warmer temperatures (a cool mud hole on a hot day), but in cooler weather and on cold nights, the tortoises should be kept dry. This species prefers low light conditions, and on summer evenings is often out wandering around after dark, when most other tortoises have been sleeping for hours. It is again active in the early morning hours whenever temperatures are in a comfortable range for it. 

Diet: Little is known about this species natural diet, but do well in captivity on a diet similar to a redfoot tortoise. We offer them a broad range of leafy greens, Mazuri tortoise diet, vegetables and a small amount of fruit. They will eat small amounts of meat sources, although this is probably not needed in captivity if they are getting the needed nutrients from other sources.

Adult Behavior: Elongateds are usually unaggressive towards eachother and can usually be kept long term in mixed-sex groups. They are not diggers, rarely digging holes. They will often spend the mid-day hidden, and will be most active in the mornings and evenings during the warmer months. They are our most active tortoises at night, often roaming around and nesting sometimes in the middle of the night. This is a very underrated tortoise, probably because they're not common in captivity. They can be kept just like a redfoot, and are every bit as enjoyable as redfoots are. 

Our Current Care: These tortoises are currently kept on a moist and deep 2"+ coconut coir substrate with a pile of sphagnum moss on one end for them to burrow into and hide. We mist them heavily once a day about 30 minutes before feeding. Temperatures fluctuate between 65 at night up to 85-90 during the day. Diet consists of spring mix on a daily basis, with moistened Mazuri tortoise diet added a few times a week. We sprinkle the food lightly with a calcium supplement 2 or 3 times a week. The tortoises are removed from their enclosure and soaked in a separate 1/4" deep pan of warm water generally 3 days a week for 30 minutes each time. These tortoises require moderate or high humidity as babies, and are one of the few tortoises that we keep a water dish in with them 24/7. They do not need intense lighting, but they do need lights on during the day and off at night to maintain a normal day/night cycle. We use full spectrum UVB lights, which we suggest for the growth of pretty, healthy tortoises.

Note: This species is heavily threatened in the wild, mostly because of Chinese food markets.