The red-crowned roofed turtle and Leith’s soft-shell turtle

Context: In a step forward towards conservation, two Indian turtle species — the red-crowned roofed turtles (Batagur kachuga) and Leith’s soft-shell turtle (Nilssonia leithii) — have made it to the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

• The decision was made at the ongoing 19th Conference of Parties (COP19) of CITES in Panama City.
• The species were moved from Appendix II to Appendix I which means the species is threatened with extinction.
• Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, according to CITES.
• Earlier in 2019 during the 18th CITES plenary meeting in Geneva, Indian star tortoises were added to the Appendix I.

About the Red crowned roofed turtle:

• Red-crowned roofed turtle is native to India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
• It is known to be widely found in the Ganga and Brahmaputra River basins.
• At present in India, the National Chambal River Gharial Sanctuary is the only geographic area where the species is found in substantial numbers.

About Leith’s soft shell turtle:

• Leith’s soft-shell turtle inhabits rivers and reservoirs mainly in southern peninsular India, in states like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
• Its presence is substantial in the Cauvery, Tungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Bhavani, Godavari and Moyar drainages.

Major Threats:

• Major threats for these turtles and other species are increasing loss of habitat due to pollution and unchecked urbanisation.
• Other reasons for habitat loss include water extraction and irrigation, leading to irregular flow of upstream dams and reservoirs.
• Sand mining and agriculture activities along the Ganga are significantly affecting the sandbars, which are safe nesting areas for the species.
• Drowning due to illegal fishing nets, poaching and illegal trade further threaten their existence.

Source: DownToEarth

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) With reference to India’s biodiversity, Ceylon Frogmouth, Coppersmith Barbet, Gray Chinned Minivet and White-throated Redstart are   (2020)

1. Birds
2. Primates
3. Reptiles
4. Amphibians