Indian flapshell turtle
The Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata) 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 unclear what protection the flaps offer against predators.
It is morphologically an evolutionary link between the softshell and hardshell aquatic turtles.
It lives in the shallow, quiet, often stagnant waters of rivers, streams, marshes, ponds, lakes and irrigation canals, and tanks.
Waters with sand or mud bottoms are preferred because of the turtle's tendency to burrow.
L. punctata turtle plays an important role to reduce pollution in aquatic ecosystems by feeding on snails, insects, and fragments of dead animals.
It is very well adapted, both morphologically and behaviorally, to drought conditions.
Conservation status
IUCN - Vulnerable
CITES Appendix II
Wildlife Protection Act - Schedule I
Indian black turtle
The Indian black turtle (Melanochelys trijuga) or Indian pond terrapin is a species of medium-sized freshwater turtle found in South Asia.
Despite its name, the color of its upper shell or carapace can vary from reddish to dark brown and black with yellow streaks running along its length.
The underside or plastron is uniformly brown in color.
There are five recognized subspecies with overlapping distributions:
M. t. trijuga: peninsula black turtle, India
M. t. coronata: Cochin black turtle, India
M. t. indo peninsularis: Bangladesh black turtle, India, Nepal
M. t. parkeri: Sri Lanka
M. t. thermalis: Sri Lanka black turtle, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka
The Indian black turtle inhabits a variety of water bodies including ponds, marshes streams, rivers and artificial water bodies like rice-paddies, watering holes etc.
Conservation status
IUCN - Least Concern
CITES Appendix II
Wildlife Protection Act - Schedule II
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