NEWS

Albino Indian Flapshell turtle was recently spotted in Sirnapalli forest in Telangana

DETAILS

• Freshwater turtles
• Widespread across South Asian countries like Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh
• Golden in colour – congenital disorder and it is characterized by complete or partial absence of tyrosine pigment

GENERAL DETAILS

• “Flap-shelled” – presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron.
• Flaps of skin cover the limbs when they retract into the shell.
• Relatively small soft-shell turtle
• Scavenger in the river.
• Found in shallow, quiet, often stagnant slow-moving rivers, streams and rice paddies.
• Predominantly carnivores, though the flapshells eat some plant matter (i.e. Omnivore).
• Threats – Poaching for meat and cartilage. Foxes and wild dogs destroy their nests.