Source: PIB
Context: After 30 years, 20 critically endangered Red-Crowned Roofed Turtles (Batagur kachuga) were successfully reintroduced into the Ganga River under the Namami Gange Mission, marking a key biodiversity milestone.
About Red-Crowned Roofed Turtles (Batagur kachuga):
- Scientific Name: Batagur kachuga
- Native Range:
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- Countries: India, Nepal, Bangladesh
- Rivers: Ganga, Brahmaputra (historical); Chambal (current viable habitat)
- Protection Status:
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- IUCN (Global): Critically Endangered
- Indian Wildlife Act: Schedule I (Highest Protection)
- CITES (International Trade): Appendix I (Banned)
- Key Features:
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- Size: Females grow up to 56 cm (about 2 feet) long and weigh 25 kg (55 lbs), while males are half as small, making them much lighter.
- Shell: Their hard, ridged shell helps them swim in strong currents, and young turtles have angled undersides (plastron) for protection.
- Snout: They have a short, slightly pointed snout, which helps them breathe while staying mostly underwater.
- Colours: During breeding season, males develop bright red, yellow, and blue streaks on their necks to attract females.
- Behaviour & Habitat:
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- Home: They live in deep, fast-flowing rivers and need sandy beaches or sandbars to lay their eggs.
- Food: They are strict herbivores, feeding only on aquatic plants and algae.
- Breeding Season: They mate and nest between March and April, when temperatures are warm.
- Eggs: Females dig nests in sand and lay 11 to 30 eggs per clutch, which hatch after about 60–70 days.
- Threats:
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- Habitat Damage: Pollution, dam construction, and excessive water use destroy their river habitats.
- Nesting Problems: Sand mining and farming on riverbanks ruin nesting sites, leaving no safe place for eggs.
- Hunting & Trade: They are poached for their meat (considered a delicacy) and shells (used in ornaments), despite being protected by law.
