“For more than a decade, our institution (KFRI) has been studying invasive alien species, and the latest is this turtle. With the active participation of the Forest Department, we collect these turtles and place them in the NCBI to learn more about them with the collaborative participation of experts from around the world,” Sajeev told Mongabay-India. The Indian star tortoise was previously listed on Appendix II, meaning that regulated trade with export permits was allowed. However, according to the CITES Trade Database, no permits have been issued since 1999 for the commercial export of Indian wilderness star turtles from India, Sri Lanka or Pakistan. Nevertheless, star tortoises continued to be illegally traded by the thousands. In 2017 alone, 6,040 Indian star tortoises were seized in 11 incidents in India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. We are working with conservation organizations Space for Giants and Freeland to protect endangered wildlife from poachers due to the conservation funding crisis caused by Covid-19. Assistance is urgently needed to help rangers, local communities and law enforcement agencies prevent wildlife crime. Donate to stop illegal wildlife trade HERE The trade in these animals is so widespread that they have been observed to be transported illegally by road, rail and air. Read more: Moved from temple ponds into the wild, black softshells head for rebirth File image: Newly hatched olive Ridley turtles head out to sea on a beach in the Indian state of Odisha Once they land, traders can sell them locally. Alternatively, they can be sent to another more distant country at higher prices. New star turtle owners in Facebook groups list places ranging from Glenrothes in Scotland to Davao City in the Philippines. “Hong Kong and Thailand act as bridges,” said Neil D`Cruze, head of animal welfare and research at the NGO World Animal Protection, which has studied the Indian star tortoise trade.
The alligator Snapping Turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in South America. They can grow up to 2.5 feet long and the average weight can range from 150 pounds to 190 pounds. Their size and aggressive nature do not make them suitable pets for beginners. Alligator Snapping Turtles have a mostly black or dark brown shell with ridges on their back with yellow spots, they have a pointed beak and unlike other turtles, their eyes are on the side. The price of an alligator Snapping Turtle in India is around Rs 12,000-15,000. Pink-bellied turtles are aquatic turtles found in slow-flowing rivers, ponds and freshwater lakes in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They have a distinctive pink belly and yellow color in the eye area, and their neck and limbs are often olive to dark green. Adult pink-bellied turtles can grow up to 10 inches long. The average lifespan of a pink-bellied turtle is between 30 and 50 years They are omnivores that eat a variety of plants, insects, fish and other animal matter. The price of a pink bulbous side collar turtle in India is around 9,000 rupees/Rs Another concern about the release of an exotic turtle into freshwater bodies is that it could overwhelm the native population and become dominant there, as in the case of the American red-eared pusher turtle.
Although the species is native to the central and eastern United States, it was accidentally released into Lake Sukhna in the northern Indian state of Punjab and now dominates other reptiles found in the region. Despite being protected by numerous laws, tens of thousands of turtles and turtles continue to poach across India every year, writes Namita Singh. “Like the Burmese python, which was introduced as a pet to the U.S. long ago and severely damaged the Everglades ecosystem in South Florida, the red-eared repellent has already severely affected India`s urban waters,” Sajeev said. According to him, vigilance must therefore be exercised against its spread in the Brahmaputra and other river ecosystems in the northeast. In addition, experts say India`s northeastern states are home to more than 72 percent of the country`s rare and endangered turtle and turtle species. Native to the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico, they became a global threat between 1989 and 1997 when farmers and animal traffickers in the United States exported more than 52 million red-eared dealers to various countries, primarily China, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature`s Global Invasive Species Database. In India, smugglers bought them illegally abroad and sold them through the network of pet shops and street vendors. Federal law prohibits the sale and distribution of turtles with shells smaller than 4 inches. The Red-eared Pusher Turtle is a non-native invasive species and requires a state permit. This species is known to spread diseases and can be aggressive towards other animals. For these reasons, the sale and distribution of this turtle is prohibited.
The golden tortoise, also known as the golden tortoise, is one of the most sensitive turtle species. They are found from eastern China to Vietnam. They are named after the golden threadlike lines that run through their shells, giving them an intricate pattern. The golden nematoid turtle is a shy and nocturnal species; They spend a lot of time buried in the sand or in the roots of trees. The price of a golden nematoise turtle in India is about 2500 rupees. “The defendants had stuffed more than 1,300 Indian softshells into 37 large bags,” H.V. Girisha, India`s forestry official and deputy regional director of the Wildlife Crime Bureau, told The Independent. The turtles, which typically have a lifespan of between 20 and 50 years, could not bear the stress of the journey and the conditions in which they were kept, and about 30 of them had died. According to Sajeev, these invasive turtles threaten native species by competing with them for food, nesting and solar space.
and hiding places.