Indian flapshell Turtle

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About Indian flapshell Turtle:

It is a freshwater species of turtle found in South Asia.
The “flap-shelled” name stems from the presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron. These flaps of skin cover the limbs when they retract into the shell.
It is morphologically an evolutionary link between the softshell and hard shell aquatic turtles.
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.
Distribution: They are mainly found in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh (Indus and Ganges drainages), and Myanmar (Irrawaddy and Salween Rivers).
Lifestyle:
- They are omnivores.
- They are generally solitary and active during the day. They are very well adapted, both morphologically and behaviorally, to drought conditions.
Conservation status
- IUCN Red list: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

Q1: What is IUCN?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature is a global organization composed of governments, NGOs, scientists, and experts dedicated to conserving nature and promoting sustainability.

Source: IVRI scientists on mission to save turtle with cracked shell in UP’s Bareilly