Indian Flapshell Turtle

Recently, a rare albino Indian flapshell turtle with a striking yellow shell and skin was spotted in a freshwater lake at Chikodra village, Gujarat. This rare sighting has garnered attention due to its unusual appearance, as albinism is extremely rare among reptiles.

About the Indian Flapshell Turtle (Lissemys punctata)

Habitat & Distribution

• Geographic Range: The Indian flapshell turtle is commonly found in tropical South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

• Habitat: These turtles thrive in shallow, quiet, and often stagnant waters such as rivers, streams, marshes, ponds, lakes, irrigation canals, and tanks. They prefer areas with sand or mud bottoms to help with burrowing.

Physical Features

• The Indian flapshell turtle has distinctive femoral flaps that extend from the shell and cover its limbs when it withdraws into its shell.

• They have oval, soft shells, a feature that connects them to hardshell turtles through evolutionary adaptation.

• They can grow up to 370 mm in length and live for about 20 years.

• Their diet is omnivorous, and they are primarily solitary, active during the day.

Survival Adaptability

• The Indian flapshell turtle is highly adaptable and has the unique ability to survive extreme droughts for 120-160 days, making it resilient to changing environmental conditions.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

• CITES: Appendix I

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

The turtle’s vulnerability is largely due to habitat destruction and poaching, leading to its endangered status.

What is Albinism?

• Albinism is a rare genetic condition that leads to a lack of melanin, which causes pigment loss in skin, eyes, and other parts of the body.

• It is a recessive genetic trait, meaning both parents must carry the gene for an animal to be born albino. Albinism occurs in approximately 1 out of 10,000 births in many species.

• Leucism, a related condition, results in a partial loss of pigmentation. Leucistic animals often have white fur, scales, or skin, but unlike albinism, their eyes are not red or pink.