Asian Forest Tortoise

About the Asian Forest Tortoise

The Asian forest tortoise (Manouria emys) is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia. It is believed to be among the most primitive of living tortoises, based on molecular and morphological studies.

There are two recognized subspecies: M. e. emys, which is native to southern Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo; and M. e. phayrei, which is found from northwestern Thailand to northeastern India. The latter was named after Sir Arthur Purves Phayre (1812–1885), British Army officer in India who became Commissioner of British Burma.

Based on a variety of phylogenetic characteristics, the genus Manouria is regarded as comparatively primitive and basal to other Testudinidae. Currently, the species has several common names. Asian/Burmese brown/black tortoise, Asian/Burmese forest tortoise, Asian/Burmese mountain tortoise, and Asian/Burmese Giant Tortoise are all modern day common names. Less commonly, the species may be known as the six-legged tortoise.

The two subspecies are generally referred to with different common names. "Asian", "Sundaic", "forest", "southern", and "brown" are more likely to be used... Wikipedia →