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Photograph Size: A2 Size (42.0 x 59.4 cm)
Material: Photo Rag Paper
The Impressed Tortoise (Manouria Impressa) gets its interesting name from the concave and serrated pattern of the scales (known as scutes) over its flat carapace (exterior). The carapace is yellow-orangish to dark brown in colour, and individual scutes tend to have darker margins. They typically inhabit humid hilly and montane forest landscapes up to an elevation of at least 1,300 metres (4,200 feet, although some sources put it at a higher elevation) in small colonies.
This is just one of four species of native land tortoises found in South East Asia and is believed to exhibit primitive evolutionary characteristics. The diet is primarily wild mushrooms, occasionally along with bamboo and grass. Thanks to this particular diet, they tend to stay hidden under cover, emerging only when it rains.
The Impressed Tortoise is a rare species, threated by poaching for the illegal pet trade as well as for use in traditional medicine. It is particularly tragic since these animals do not usually survive in captivity.