Peacock Soft-shelled Turtle | 01 Dec 2020

Why in News

Recently, Peacock soft-shelled turtle (a turtle of a vulnerable species) has been rescued from a fish market in Assam’s Silchar.

Key Points

  • Scientific Name: Nilssonia hurum.
  • Features:
    • They have a large head, downturned snout with low and oval carapace of dark olive green to nearly black, sometimes with a yellow rim.
    • The head and limbs are olive green; the forehead has dark reticulations and large yellow or orange patches or spots, especially behind the eyes and across the snout.
    • Males possess relatively longer and thicker tails than females.
  • Habitat:
    • This species is confined to India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
    • In india, it is widespread in the northern and central parts of the Indian subcontinent.
    • These are found in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds with mud or sand bottoms.
  • Major Threats:
    • The species is heavily exploited for its meat and calipee (the outer cartilaginous rim of the shell).
    • Threats in the River Ganga to the species are those generic for all large river turtles, including reduction of fish stock, as a result of overfishing, pollution, increase in river traffic, and sand-mining, among others.
  • Conservation Status:

Source:IE