The ground tortoise lives in the shaded and moist areas near streams in the mountain jungle at an altitude of about 700 meters, and is also often found in streams. It is terrestrial or semi-aquatic and cannot enter deep waters. The understory trees, vines and bamboos in its habitat are abundant, and the canopy density is mostly above 80%. It is omnivorous and feeds on various insects, worms, leaves and fruits of plants. It eats little and grows slowly.
When the weight of the tortoise reaches about 250 grams, the gonads begin to mature and have reproductive ability. Generally, they mate in September and October and start laying eggs in June of the following year. The egg-laying period is from June to August, and 2 to 6 eggs are laid each time. The eggs are white. They can lay eggs 2 to 3 times each season. The incubation temperature is 29 to 30 degrees, and the incubation period is about 65 to 75 days.
Listed in the "List of National Key Protected Wildlife in China" - Level II.
Listed in the "China Biodiversity Red List - Vertebrate Volume" (Reptiles) - Endangered (EN).
