Indian Flapshell Turtle

Indian Flapshell Turtle Latest News

In a rare sighting, an albino Indian flapshell turtle with a striking yellow shell and skin was recently spotted in a freshwater lake at Chikodra village, Gujarat.

About Indian Flapshell Turtle

• It is a freshwater turtle commonly found in tropical South Asian Countries.
• Scientific Name: Lissemys punctata
• Distribution: They are mainly found in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh , and Myanmar.
• Habitat: 
  • They live in the shallow, quiet, often stagnant waters of rivers, streams, marshes, ponds, lakes and irrigation canals, and tanks.
  • These turtles prefer waters with sand or mud bottoms because of their tendency to burrow.

Indian Flapshell Turtle Features

• Its identifiers are the femoral flaps that extend from the shell and cover the limbs when the turtle withdraws into its shell. 
• The oval soft shell of the flapshell turtle is an evolutionary connection to hardshell turtles. 
• They can grow up to 370 mm in length and live for about 20 years.
• They are omnivores.
• They are generally solitary and active during the day. 
• They are highly adaptable beings. They can survive in extreme droughts for about 120-160 days.

Indian Flapshell Turtle Conservation status

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

What is Albinism?

• Albinism is a rare genetic condition that affects the level of melanin, or what pigments hair, skin, and eyes in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. 
• This is a mutation that is passed from parent to offspring. 
• It is a recessive trait that occurs in every one out of 10,000 births. 
• Both of the parents of the offspring must carry the gene in order for the animal to be albino. 
• Some animals are full albino while others possess albino traits.
• Partial albinism is known as leucism. Animals that are leucistic might have white fur, scales, or skin, but their eyes will not be pink or red.

Source: TOI

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