Context:
As Lok Sabha race heats up, a ‘critically endangered’ turtle becomes poll mascot in Bengal
Black Softshell Turtle:
- Also referred to as – Bostami turtle
- Freshwater turtle
- Habitat – Brahmaputra River and its tributaries.
- Also found in ponds of temples in northeastern India and Bangladesh
- Conservation Status –
- IUCN STATUS – Critically Endangered
- CITES – Appendix I
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – No legal protection
- Cultural Significance –
- It is believed that Hazrat Bayezid Bostami, a Sufi saint, brought these turtles from Iran to the Chittagong shrine pond.
- In Bengal, it is worshipped as a Vishnu avatar
- Preserved in Hayagriva Madhava Temple Pond in Assam and the Kalyan Sagar Lake in the Tripura Sundari Temple in Tripura.
Turtle Conservation in India:
- National Marine Turtle Action Plan
- Indian Ocean Sea Turtle Agreement (IOSEA) – India is a signatory IOSEA of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), a United Nations backed initiative
- KURMA App – It has a built-in digital field guide covering 29 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises of India.
- Developed by – Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network (ITCAN)
- World Turtle Day is observed every year on 23rd May
Related Articles:
Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle
Source: The Indian Express
Previous Year Question
Consider the following fauna and India:
1. Gharial
2. Leatherback turtle
3. Swamp deer
Which of the above is/are endangered?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2013 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None
Answer: (c)
