Why it is in news?
- The sudden mass turtle deaths in different parts of the district have sparked fears of disease outbreak as authorities remain clueless about the cause.
- The dead turtles include Softshell turtle and Indian black turtle.
- The Animal Husbandry Department sent the carcass of a turtle to a laboratory at Thiruvalla for examination, but they could not ascertain the cause of death as the carcass was in a decayed condition.
- Now, a live turtle has been sent for investigation.
- The number of turtle deaths has not been determined yet.
- The disease outbreaks are not new to Alappuzha.
- In 2016, bird flu (avian influenza), caused by H5N8 virus, was detected among ducks in Kuttanad.
- Prior to that, H5N1 was reported in the district in 2014.
- On both occasions, several ducks died and thousands were culled to tackle the spread of the disease.
Indian black turtle
- It is a medium-sized freshwater turtle found in South Asia.
- The species occurs in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, and the Chagos Archipelago.
- Despite its name, the colour of its upper shell or carapace can vary from reddish to dark brown and black with yellow streaks running along its length.
- The Indian black turtle also known as Indian pond terrapin is classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Softshell turtle
- Softshell turtle is found in rivers and other water bodies.
- It is a vulnerable species that feeds mostly on fish, amphibians and aquatic plants.
- The Indian softshell turtle (Nilssonia gangetica), or Ganges softshell turtle is a species of softshell turtle found in South Asia in rivers such as the Ganges, Indus and Mahanadi.
- These turtles are often maintained in the temple ponds of Orissa where they are considered sacred.
- It is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Source
The Hindu