Red Crowned Roofed Turtle

• At the 19th Conference of the Parties to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), which will be held in Panama, India has recommended protecting the Red-Crowned Roofed turtle.

What were the Conference's High Points?

• To move riverine species from the current Appendix II to Appendix I, India has submitted a proposal to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
• According to the level of protection required, the CITES-covered species are listed in three Appendices:
• Species in danger of extinction are listed in Appendix I.
• Species listed in Appendix II are not necessarily in danger of going extinct, although (where trade must be controlled).
• Species included in Appendix III are protected in at least one nation, and that nation has requested help from other CITES parties in enforcing trade restrictions.
• Nearly 600 species of animals and plants are thought to be more at risk of extinction through international commerce, and the 19th Conference of the Parties to CITES is being requested to take this into consideration.

A Red Crowned Roofed Turtle: What Is It?

• Batagur kachuga is its scientific name.
• Common Names: Red-crowned roofed turtle, Bengal roof turtle.
• About: The males of the Red Crowned Roofed Turtle, one of the 24 indigenous species to India, have vibrant colours on their cheeks and necks, including red, yellow, white, and blue.

Distribution:

• This species of freshwater turtle is found in rivers with deep currents and terrestrial nesting areas.
• India, Bangladesh, and Nepal are the native countries of the Red-crowned roofed turtle.
• Historically, both in India and Bangladesh, the species was common in the Ganga River. Also, the Brahmaputra basin experiences it.
• The only place where the species is currently found in significant numbers in India is the National Chambal River Gharial Sanctuary, but even this Protected Area and its environment are under danger.

Threats:

• The species is extremely vulnerable to water pollution, significant hydrological projects that alter river flow dynamics, and those that affect breeding beaches.
• Subpopulations have been significantly impacted by the entanglement in fishing nets because human activities on and near the river are unsettling.
• The greatest risks to these species include habitat degradation brought on by pollution, extensive development projects including water extraction for irrigation and human consumption, and unpredictable flow from upstream dams and reservoirs.
• The Ganga River's sandbars, which are used by the species for nesting, are significantly impacted by sand mining and the seasonal crop-growing.
• Other causes of the animal extinction threat include overharvesting for illicit domestic consumption and illegal international trafficking.
• According to a report by TRAFFIC, a global NGO focused on the trafficking in wild animals and plants and their conservation, over 11,000 tortoises and freshwater turtles were impounded in India between 2009 and 2019.

Conservation Status:

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Critically Endangered
• Wildlife Protection Act (WPA): Schedule I
• CITES : Appendix II