In news-Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has clarified that there are no reports to indicate that the Indian tent turtle is on the verge of extinction due to illegal mining in Narmada River.
Abou Indian tent turtle-
- It is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae and is native to India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
- It is a unique, crawling reptile and is aptly named after its tent-like appearance of their high vaulted shells that feature hump-like projections on the keel.
- They are mainly omnivorous and consume a wide variety of aquatic plants and animals in the wild.
- The size of the carapace ranges from 20 cm to 26.5 cm depending upon the subspecies.
- The colour of the turtles also varies according to each subspecies.
- Subspecies tentoria has an olive or brownish head with a red postocular spot, the carapace is brown in colour with amber or hazel stripe in the first three vertebras and the plastron is yellow with black blotches.
- The head of subspecies circumdata is olive green with pink postocular spot; the carapace is brownish olive green in colour and with pink pleuro-marginal ring and the plastron is yellow with dark and large blotches.
- Subspecies flaviventer has a brownish olive color head with pink patch behind the eyes, the carapace is brownish olive and the first three vertebras have a light-coloured stripe and the plastron is yellow and unpatterned.
- The males are smaller than the females in size and have longer and thicker tails. The tentoria subspecies have a moderately small and pointed head that is shorter than the orbit.
- Its habitats include still water pools on the river side and slow running water near the river banks. These are active swimmers.
- Due to the attractive appearance of the species, they are illegally traded in the pet market.
- It is listed in Schedule –I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and is thereby provided the highest degree of protection.
- They are considered as Least Concerned under the IUCN red list.
Source: PIB
