Red-crowned Roofed Turtles: Characteristics and Conservation Status

Context: Recently, 20 red-crowned roofed turtles were reintroduced in the river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh.

About Red-crowned Roofed Turtles

• Red-crowned roofed turtles are a freshwater turtle species and are found in deep, flowing rivers with terrestrial nesting sites.
• It prefers clean, unpolluted river ecosystems with abundant aquatic vegetation
• It is native to India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
• Acts as a bioindicator of freshwater river ecosystem health.
• Current confirmed habitat in the wild: Chambal River (Chambal River Gharial Sanctuary)

Physical Characteristics

• The size of males is much smaller (around half the size of females).
• Males develop bright red colouration on the crown during the breeding season.
• It has a strongly keeled carapace.

Conservation Status

• IUCN: Critically Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I

Major threats

• Habitat loss,
• Drowning in illegal fishing nets,
• Sand Mining,
• Poaching, etc.

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