Critically endangered elongated tortoise spotted in Aravalis for the first time
- A critically endangered species, the elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata), was spotted in Haryana’s Damdama area during a research survey in the Aravallis.
Highlights:
- A critically endangered species, the elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata), was recently spotted in the Damdama area of Haryana’s Aravallis during a research survey.
- This rare sighting, the first of its kind in the region, has sparked interest among conservationists, given the tortoise's typical habitat in wetter regions such as the foothills of the Himalayas and Southeast Asia.
Description and Habitat:
- The elongated tortoise is a medium-sized species with a yellowish-brown or olive shell adorned with distinct black blotches on each scute.
- During the breeding season, individuals develop a pinkish colouration around the nostrils and eyes, with a pink ring around the nostrils being a distinctive feature.
- The tortoise is usually found in Sal deciduous and hilly evergreen forests, with its distribution spanning across Southeast Asia, including northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Thailand, among others. In India, disjunct populations exist in the Chota Nagpur plateau and lowland regions up to 1,000 meters above sea level.
The Significance of the Sighting:
- Environmentalists Sunil Harsana and Nitesh Kaushik discovered the tortoise during a research survey, and the species was identified by expert Sneha Dharwadkar.
- The finding is considered an aberration as the species is not native to the Aravalli region and typically inhabits wetter areas.
- Dharwadkar suggested that the tortoise could have been introduced to the region through illegal wildlife trade, though further research is needed to confirm this.
Conservation Concerns:
- Listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2018, the elongated tortoise has experienced severe population declines. Despite its wide distribution, human activities such as hunting, habitat destruction, and exploitation for food and traditional medicine have significantly impacted its numbers.
- Local communities often capture tortoises while farming or foraging, while others deliberately hunt them, sometimes using dogs to locate the animals.
- The discovery in Haryana highlights the importance of ongoing conservation efforts and the need for further surveys to assess the species’ presence and protection in the region.
Prelims Takeaways:
- IUCN Red List