The Impressed tortoise (Manouria impressa) is a large reptile from Southeast Asia. This species is known for being difficult to keep alive in captivity because not much is known about it. Some places like Thailand have established a wildlife conservation law to protect them.
Impressed tortoises have a golden brown shell and skin. Adults are much smaller than their relatives the Asian forest tortoise; their maximum carapace length is 35 cm (14 in).
Impressed tortoises are found in Southeast Asia, mainly in Myanmar Burma, southern China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Northeast India. They live in mountainous dry and moist forests.
The behavior of Impressed tortoises is little known due to the small known population. They are shy in their nature and are believed to be terrestrial. They usually spend most of their time sheltering under logs or leaves on the forest floor and aestivate for long periods throughout the year.
Impressed tortoises are herbivores. Their diet consists largely of mushrooms especially during the rainy season, although they also eat bamboo shoots.
It is suggested that Impressed tortoises breed during the rainy season. The clutch size may contain 8 to 20 eggs which are laid in a shallow scrape on the ground and is covered with leaves. Females are known to guard their clutch from predators.
Impressed tortoises are rare and face a number of serious threats. The main threat is habitat loss due to agricultural expansion and logging. They are also eaten widely by local people. Humans also use Impressed tortoises for cell, trading, and pets.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Impressed tortoise total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
