Hi! We are a turtle found in India and nearby places. We are the Indian Pond Terrapins. We are also called as Indian Black Turtles though most of us are not black. Have a look at few important points about us:
- We are freshwater reptiles that have cold blood flowing in our bodies. For this reason, we spend most of our time just basking in the sun (staying still in the sun) taking the heat, and regulating our body temperature.
- Though we are slow on the ground, like any other turtle, we are excellent swimmers.
- We are pleasant most of the time, but we become aggressive in the breeding period.
- Did you know? Females of our species are amazing diggers. After mating, the females dig through the ground or a pile of ding (of Rhinoceros’ or Elephants’) to lay eggs.
- It uses a technique where it uses its left hind leg to excavate while the right hind leg clears the excess material.
- Laying eggs in a pile of dung is actually clever as it keeps out most of the predators that try to steal and eat the eggs.
- We, like any other turtle, retract our limbs and head inside the shell (carapace) when threatened.
- Our shell is a little hard for any small predator to bite and hence, it provides us better protection from predators.
SOME QUICK FACTS:
Our Scientific Name: Melanochelys Trijuga.
Identification: Reddish brown to black colored turtle with yellow streaks.
Our Habitat: water bodies like ponds, streams, rivers, marshes, agricultural fields, etc.
Our Range: found in various parts of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Myanmar.
Our Food Habits: Omnivorous; feed on aquatic plants, insects and carrion.
Our Breeding Period: August to October.
Number of eggs laid: 2-6 eggs.
Our Incubation period: 60-65 days.
Our Lifespan: 40 years.
IUCN red list status: Near Threatened.
CITES: Not listed
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Not listed
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Geoemydidae
Genus: Melanochelys
Species: M. trijuga
COMPLETE DETAILS FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are also called as Indian Black Turtles. We are medium-sized turtles. Let us tell you more about our species.
We are scientifically called as Melanochelys Trijuga.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are medium-sized turtles with a body length of 38cm-45cm. Despite our name, we are not always black. Our upper shell which is called a carapace is reddish-brown to black in color. There are yellow stripes running along our length.
The underside, which is called plastron is brown in color. The limbs are dark grey to black in color. Our face is also dark grey to black in color with yellow and orange marks and spots present on it.
We vary slightly in each subspecies. Males and females look alike and the young look similar to the adult.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We are species found near water bodies like ponds, streams, rivers, marshes. We can also be found in manmade water bodies like watering holes, agricultural fields, etc.
Our range lies in following countries depending on subspecies;
- M. t. trijuga: found in peninsular India, called as Peninsula black turtle.
- M. t. coronata: found in the Kerala state of India, called as Cochin black turtle.
- M. t. indopeninsularis: found in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Eastern India and parts of Nepal, called as Bangladesh black turtle.
- M. t. parkeri: found in Sri Lanka.
- M. t. thermalis: found in Sri Lanka, South India, and the Maldives, called as Sri Lankan black turtle.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are omnivorous reptiles. We forage the habitat for food. Our diet consists of different types of aquatic vegetation, insects and carrion.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
Our breeding period is in between August and October. Males of our species become aggressive and mate with females by biting their necks. The female after mating digs a burrow in the ground or in a pile of dung and lays 2-6 eggs in it. The incubation period is 60- 65 days.
The young hatchlings are taken care of by the female and they become independent after a few weeks. Our expected lifetime is 40 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are freshwater living cold-blooded species and thus we need to keep ourselves hot from time to time. For this, we spend most of our time basking in the sun (staying in the heat of the sun).
We are most active during morning and evening foraging for food.
We can sometimes be found near the carcass of a large dead animal in a group.
The females are well-known for their digging skills. They dig after mating to lay eggs. They excavate using the left hind leg white the right hind leg is used for clearing the material.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We are considered as “Near Threatened” species in the list of IUCN. The decline in population is due to excessive hunting, pet trade, and habitat loss. However, populations in India and Nepal are stable and secure as of now.
