The species is listed in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Poaching, trade, or any other form of utilisation of this species or any of its body parts is a punishable offence. Its international trade is further regulated under the multilateral treaty CITES.
The reptile is herbivorous, solitary and burrow-dwelling, found in the arid and semi-arid regions of north-western India. In India, it can be found in Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.