Indian flapshell Turtle

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