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Geochelone Platynota (Blyth 1863) – Burmese Star Tortoise, Kye Leik

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Geochelone Platynota (Blyth 1863) – Burmese Star Tortoise, Kye Leik Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation ProjectTestudinidae of the IUCN/SSC — TortoiseGeochelone and Freshwater platynota Turtle Specialist Group 057.1 A.G.J. Rhodin, P.C.H. Pritchard, P.P. van Dijk, R.A. Saumure, K.A. Buhlmann, J.B. Iverson, and R.A. Mittermeier, Eds. Chelonian Research Monographs (ISSN 1088-7105) No. 5, doi:10.3854/crm.5.057.platynota.v1.2011 © 2011 by Chelonian Research Foundation • Published 31 December 2011 Geochelone platynota (Blyth 1863) – Burmese Star Tortoise, Kye Leik STEVEN G. PLATT 1, THANDA SWE 2, WIN KO KO1, KALYAR PLATT 3, KHIN MYO MYO 1, THO M A S R. RAINWATER 4, AND DAVID Emm ETT 5 1Wildlife Conservation Society, Myanmar Program, Aye Yeik Mon 1st Street, Yadanamon Hosuing Ave., Yangon, Myanmar [[email protected], [email protected]]; 2 Zoology Department, Yadanabon University, Mandalay, Myanmar; 3Turtle Survival Alliance, Aye Yeik Mon 1st Street, Yadanamon Hosuing Ave., Yangon, Myanmar [[email protected]]; 4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, South Carolina, 29412, USA [[email protected]]; 5Conservation International, Indo-Burma Program, #10 Street 420, Phnom Penh, Cambodia [[email protected]] SU mm ARY . – The Burmese Star Tortoise, Geochelone platynota (Family Testudinidae) is a medium-sized tortoise (carapace length to ca. 30 cm) endemic to the dry zone of central Myanmar. Little is known concerning the ecology of G. platynota in the wild. The species occurs in xerophytic habitats typical of the dry zone, as well as grazed pastures, hedgerows, and agricultural fields. Its diet consists largely of grass and other vegetation, but fruit, mushrooms, snails, and insect remains have been recovered in feces. Mating occurs from June to September, followed by egg-laying from October through February. The mean size of 27 clutches was 4.4 eggs, and a positive relationship was noted between female size and clutch size. Based on a limited sample, the home range of males is somewhat larger than that of females. During cool and dry periods, activity declined and tortoises sheltered in bamboo thickets, undercut banks, and rock crevices. Geochelone platynota occurs both macro- and microsympatrically with Indotestudo elongata in the dry zone, but the ecological rela- tionship between the two species remains poorly understood. The few available data suggest that G. platynota is ecologically extinct in the wild, as a result of historic long-term subsistence harvesting and more recent over-collecting to supply illegal international food and pet markets. The last known wild populations in Shwe Settaw and Minzontaung Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Myaleik Taung are now apparently reduced to non-viable levels. Future conservation efforts hinge on developing and implementing successful captive breeding and reintroduction programs in Myanmar. Currently, offspring are being produced at several rearing facilities in Myanmar, but persistent rampant poaching precludes the reintroduction of tortoises into protected areas. DI S TRIBUTION . – Myanmar. Endemic to the dry zone of central Myanmar (Burma). SYNONO M Y . – Testudo platynota Blyth 1863, Peltastes platynotus, Geochelone platynota, Geoch- elone elegans platynota. SUB sp ECIE S . – None. STATU S . – IUCN 2011 Red List: Critically Endangered (CR A1cd+2cd, C2a) (assessed 2000); CITES: Appendix II, as Testudinidae spp.; Myanmar: Protection of Wildlife, Wild Plants and Conservation of Natural Areas Law: Protected. Taxonomy. — The Burmese Star Tortoise, Geochelone was placed in the G. elegans group that also included G. platynota, family Testudinidae, was originally described elegans and G. sulcata (a species now sometimes referred as Testudo platynota (Blyth 1863), and reviewed by Smith to the monotypic genus Centrochelys). Further analysis by (1931) and Bourret (1941). Loveridge and Williams (1957) Fritz and Bininda-Edmonds (2007) has supported this group- restricted Testudo to five species of Palearctic tortoises, with ing. The clade containing G. platynota is thought to have those from other zoogeographic regions being assigned to originated in Africa and later dispersed into Asia (Le at al. different genera; many large-bodied tropical species, includ- 2006). Geochelone platynota is known locally in Myanmar ing T. platynota were transferred to the genus Geochelone. as Kye Leik, which literally translates to “star turtle”, and Obst (1986) considered G. platynota to be a subspecies of refers to the striking patterns on the carapace and plastron. G. elegans without justification (Iverson 1992). Le et al. Description. — Geochelone platynota is a medium- (2006) concluded Geochelone was a polyphyletic genus with sized tortoise with a carapace length (CL) to at least 30 species distributed in four independent clades; G. platynota cm; females are larger than males (CL ≤ 25 cm) (Platt et al. 057.2 Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises • Chelonian Research Monographs, No. 5 Figure 1. Adult Geochelone platynota at Lawkanandar Wildlife Sanctury in Bagan. Photo by Kalyar Platt. 2003). Descriptions are provided by Smith (1931) and Ernst of each vertebral and pleural scute. Each marginal has two and Barbour (1989). yellow stripes that form a V. The carapace is convex, but flattened dorsally with The plastron is notched both anteriorly and posteriorly; a slight cervical indentation. The posterior marginals are the forelobe is narrower, but longer than the hind lobe. The somewhat expanded, but weakly serrated; the nuchal scute plastral formula is abdominal > humeral > femoral > gular is absent. The first vertebral scute is longer than broad, > anal > pectoral. The bridge is wide and the axillary scute and vertebrals 2 to 5 are broader than long; vertebral 5 is is smaller than the inguinal scute. expanded and 4 is relatively small. There are usually 11 The head is moderate-sized with a weakly hooked, marginals on each side; the supracaudal scute is undivided feebly tricuspid lower jaw. A large prefrontal is divided and curves downward. The carapace is light brown to black longitudinally and followed by a single large frontal scale; with six or fewer stripes radiating from the yellow areola the remaining head scales are small. The skin of the head, Figure 3. Captive-bred juvenile Geochelone platynota at Shwe Figure 2. Adult Geochelone platynota at Lawkanandar Wildlife Settaw Wildlife Sanctuary. Photos by Kalyar Platt (top) and Peter Sanctury in Bagan. Photo by Kalyar Platt. Paul van Dijk (bottom). Testudinidae — Geochelone platynota 057.3 Figure 4. Distribution of Geochelone platynota in central Myanmar. Red dots = museum and literature occurrence records of historical populations based on historical and authors’ data, now all most likely extirpated; gray dots = market specimens or possible previous occurrence records mapped by Iverson (1992); red / black dots = last three known wild populations at Shwe Settaw and Minzontaung Wildlife Sanctuaries and Myaleik Taung, now also largely extirpated; green shading = projected original native distribution based on GIS-defined hydrologic unit compartments (HUCs) constructed around verified localities and then adding HUCs that connect known point localities in the same watershed or physiographic region, and similar habitats and elevations as verified HUCs (Buhlmann et al. 2009), and adjusted based on authors’ data. limbs, and tail is yellowish. The anterior surface of the of the dry zone such as Moulmein (Mawlamyine), Rangoon forelimbs is covered with heavy, rounded scales. The tail (Yangon), and Pegu (Bago) (Blyth 1863; Theobald 1868; terminates with a spur-like tubercle. Males are distinguished Smith 1931), are based on specimens obtained in markets by a prominent plastral concavity that is absent in females, and probably not reflective of the natural distribution (van and longer, thicker tails with the vent more distal, close to Dijk 1993). A reference by Abreu (1858) to Testudo radiata, the tip. a Madagascan species with a carapace pattern similar to G. Distribution. — Geochelone platynota is endemic to platynota, encountered north of Toungoo (18°53’N; 96°23’E) the dry zone of central Myanmar (Burma); however, within is probably assignable to the latter. A G. platynota in the this region its distribution remains ill-defined and few collection of the Zoological Society of India (ZSI 17049) specimen-based locality records are available (Platt et al. was collected near Yenangyoung (20°27’N; 94°52’E) during 2004). Early records of G. platynota from localities outside the 1920s (Indraneil Das, pers. comm.), and Iverson (1992) reported another from Magwe (20°08’N; 94°57’E). More recently G. platynota has been reported from Shwe Settaw (20°11’N; 94°28’E) and Minzontaung (21°24’N; 95°47’E) Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Myaleik Taung (21°47’N; 96°15’E) (van Dijk 1993; Platt et al. 2001a, 2003). Additional specimens of G. platynota have been reported from scattered localities in the dry zone, including Hti Chaing Town (23°44.8’N; 96°08.9 E), and Myinthar-Kyarnyut (23°14.5’N; 95°59.4’E), Mau (22°40.7’N; 95°54.3’E), Budalin (22°25.1’N; 95°10.0’E), Sheinmaga (22°16.8’N; 95°58.9’E), Sing Khaing (22°11.7’N; 95°59.4’E), and Padan (20°00.0’N; 94°31.2’E) villages; these tortoises were reportedly collected nearby (Platt 2001a; Platt et al. 2004). Specimens from Hti Chaing Town constitute the northernmost records of G. platynota in Myanmar (Platt et al. 2004). Geochelone platynota is also thought to occur
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