About

• 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 morphologically an evolutionary link between the softshell and hardshell aquatic turtles.
• It will burrow into the mud of shallow marshes and agricultural fields, entombing itself in aestivation, during periods of drought. It’s been known to survive for up to 5 months in this state

Distribution

• The Indian flapshell turtle is found in Pakistan, India (common in lakes and rivers), Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh (Indus and Ganges drainages), and Myanmar (Irrawaddy and Salween Rivers). 

Threats

• Poaching for the food and traditional medicine markets of northeastern India and the Far East has been considered the greatest threat of this species. 
• It is under immense harvesting pressure, with an estimated 70,000 turtles poached each year in India alone for foreign markets.

Conservation Status

• CITES: Appendix II
• IUCN: Least Concern

Why in News?

• Uttar Pradesh police arrested three individuals on December 26, 2024, for trafficking of 297 rare Indian flapshell turtles. 
• Media reports revealed the suspects had obtained the turtles from a pond in Karhal, Mainpuri district, and were illegally exporting them to China via Uttarakhand at a price of R10,000 a turtle.