News: Forest officials had installed GPS transmitters on Northern River Terrapin in Indian Sundarbans. In just six weeks, at least three of these turtles have travelled hundreds of kilometres and are now in Bangladesh.
About Northern River Terrapin
Source: Indiasendangered
Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska) is a species of riverine turtle native to Southeast Asia. It is one of Asia’s largest freshwater and breakwater turtles.
They spend most of their time in water and only come on land to lay eggs. They are even known to undertake long seasonal migrations to the sandbanks where they were hatched.
They have an omnivorous diet, taking waterside plants and small animals such as clams.
Conservation status:
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
Habitat: The species is currently found in Bangladesh and India (in the Sunderbans), Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia. It is regionally extinct in Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Threats: Hunting and harvesting of eggs, Pollution and loss of habitat, Incidental drowning by getting trapped in fishing nets and Destructive fishing practices.
