Volume 3, Issue 4 (12-2021)                   JAD 2021, 3(4): 20-27 | Back to browse issues page


XML Print


Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

Vasava A, Vyas R, Mistry V, Sindha P. Mysterious deaths of aquatic reptiles, with special emphasis on the Indian Flap-shelled turtle Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre, 1789) from Gujarat State, India. JAD 2021; 3 (4) :20-27
URL: http://jad.lu.ac.ir/article-1-143-en.html
1- Voluntary Nature Conservancy, 101-Radha Darshan, Behind Union Bank, Vallabh Vidyanagar-388120, Gujarat, India , aniruddh.vasava@gmail.com
2- Shashwat Apartment, 23 Anadnagar Society, BPC Haveli Road, Alkapuri, Vadodara- 390007, Gujarat, India
3- Voluntary Nature Conservancy, 101-Radha Darshan, Behind :union: Bank, Vallabh Vidyanagar-388120, Gujarat, India
Abstract:   (7175 Views)
The freshwater ecosystems in Gujarat State, in the western part of India, are important habitats for various freshwater turtles. Due to the lack of information on survival and the morality of the freshwater turtles, we present new information on threats to the the Indian Flap-shelled turtle Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre) and species mass mortalities observed in some water bodies of the Gujarat State. Approximately 1071 specimens of L. punctata and three specimens of the Ganges Soft-shelled turtle Nilssonia gangetica (Cuvier), along with large numbers of many other species of reptiles and fishes were recorded dead within a span of five years from January 2016 to December 2020. In some of the cases, the circumstantial evidence suggests that entanglement and trapping in fish nets could have been the reason, but large number of the deaths remained mysterious. This mysterious sudden death of aquatic reptiles in various water bodies of the state is of serious concern. We also discuss the possible explanation for these mysterious deaths.
Full-Text [PDF 2568 kb]   (2137 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Ecological Diversity
Received: 2021/04/29 | Accepted: 2021/06/3 | Published: 2021/12/31

References
1. Bansal, N. (2018). Industrial development and challenges of water pollution in coastal areas: The case of Surat, India. IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 120: 012001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/120/1/012001 [DOI]
2. Bhupathy, S., Webb, R. G, and Praschag, P. (2014). Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre 1789) – Indian Flapshell Turtle, In: Rhodin, A. G. J., Pritchard, P. C. H., van Dijk, P. P., Saumure, R. A., Buhlmann, K. A., Iverson, J. B. and Mittermeier, R. A. (Eds.), Conservation biology of freshwater turtles and tortoises: A compilation project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5, pp. 076.1–12. https://doi.org:10.3854/crm.5.076.punctata.v1.2014 [DOI]
3. Chandra, K., Gopi, K. C., Rao, D. V., Subramanian, K. A., and Valarmathi, K. (2017). Current status on freshwater faunal diversity of India – An overview, In: Chandra, K. C., Gopi, D. V., Rao, Valarmathi, K. and Alfred, J. R. B. (Eds.), Current status of freshwater faunal diversity in India. Published by the Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India. pp. 1–25.
4. Chaudhary, J. 2019. As global smuggling networks flourish, Indian turtles disappear from traditional habitats. https://scroll.in/article/919693/as-global-sm uggling-networks-flourish-indian-turtles-disappe ar-from-traditional-habitats (Assessed on 15 May 2021).
5. Choudhury, B. C., Bhupathy, S. and Hanfee, F. (2000). Status information on the tortoises and freshwater turtles of India, In: van Dijk, P. P., Stuart, B. L. and Rhodin, A. G. J. (Eds.), Asian Turtle Trade: Proceedings of a Workshop on Conservation and Trade of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises in Asia. Chelonian Research Monographs 2. pp. 86–94.
6. CPCB. (2007). Central Pollution Control Board, “Annual Report: Technical Report,” 2007.
7. CSE. (2009). Estimated from Center for Science and Environment, “Turnaround: Reform Agenda for India’s Environmental Regulators,” 2009, available at http://www.cseindia.org/userfiles/regulators_report .pdf (Accessed on 26 March 2021)
8. Das, D. and Mandal, S. (2019). Unusual death of an Olive Ridley Sea Turtle in Dhabaleswar sea beach, Odisha, India. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 116: 7–10. https://doi.org/10.17087/jbnhs/2019/v116/101275 [DOI]
9. Das, I. (1991). Colour guide to the turtles and tortoises of the Indian Subcontinent. R & A Publishing Limited, England. 133 pp.
10. Daniel, J. C. and Shull, E. M. (1963). A list of the reptiles and amphibians of Surat, Dangs, south Gujarat. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 60: 737–743.
11. Gopi, K. C., Rao, D. V., Valarmathi, K. and Alfred, J. R. B. (Eds.) (2017). Current status of freshwater faunal diversity in India: Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. 625 pp.
12. Kiruba-Sankar, R., Praveen Raj, J., Saravanan, K., Lohith Kumar, K., Raymond Jani Angel, J., Velmurugan, A. and Dam Roy, S. (2018). Invasive species in freshwater ecosystems- Threats to ecosystem services, In: Sivaperuman, C. A., Velmurugan, A., Singh, I. and Jaisankar. I. (Eds.), Biodiversity of tropical Islands. Academic Press, USA. pp. 257–296.
13. Murthy, K. L. N. and Ramana Murthy, K. V. (2011) Mass mortality of Lepidochelys olivacea observed at Kottapeta beach in Srikakulam along the east coast of Andhra Pradesh, India. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter, 14: 15–17.
14. Patel, H. and Vyas, R. (2019). Reptiles of Gujarat, India: Updated checklist, distribution and conservation status. Herpetology Notes, 12: 765–777. https://doi.org/10.29252/JAD.2019.1.2.2 [DOI]
15. Pandav, B., Choudhury, B. and Kar, C. (1997). Mortality of olive ridley turtles Lepidochelys olivacea due to incidental capture in fishing nets along the Orissa coast, India. Oryx, 31 (1), 32–36. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3008.1997.d01-1.x [DOI]
16. Pande, R. and Datla, A. (2016). Fighting pollution with data: Environmental Audits and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board. HKS Case 2054.0. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Kennedy School Case Program.
17. Praschag, P. S., Stuckas, H., Packert, M., Maran, J. and Fritz, U. (2011). Mitochondrial DNA sequences suggest a revised taxonomy of Asian flapshell turtles (Lissemys SMITH, 1931) and the validity of previously unrecognized taxa (Testudines: Trionychidae). Vertebrate Zoology, 61: 147–160.
18. Reuters. (2006). More than 150 dead mud turtles found in Indian canal. Nov 20, 2006. https://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUKB92538420061120 (Accessed on 12 April 2021).
19. Sandilyan, S. (2016) Occurrence of ornamental fishes: a looming danger for Inland fish diversity of India. Current Science, 110 (11): 2099–2104. https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v110/i11/2099-2104 [DOI]
20. TNN (2018) Probe ordered into mass tortoise deaths in Alappuzha, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ kochi/probe-ordered-into-mass-tortoise-deaths-in-ala ppuzha/articleshow/64910469.cms, (Assessed on 8 July, 2018).
21. TSA. (2019). Indian flap-shell turtles amounts to crisis for TSA-India. January 31, 2019. https://turtlesurvival.org/illicit-trade-in-indian-flapah ell-turtles-amounts-to-crisis-for-tsa-india/ (Accessed on 20 April 2021).
22. Vyas, R. (2007). Herpetofauna of Purna Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat, India. Reptile Rap, 8: 10–15.
23. Vyas, R. (2010). The Muggers (Crocodylus palustris) of Vishwamitri River: Past and Present. Herpetology and Environmental Research Project (HERP), Vadodara, Gujarat State, March 2010: 32 pp+ Fig.5+Table 11+ i-xxi. (Published Report).
24. Vyas, R. (2015). Status of Ganges Soft-shell Turtle Nilssonia gangetica amidst deplorable scenarios in urban wetlands of Central Gujarat State, India. Reptile Rap, 17: 3–12.
25. Vyas, R. (2019). Distribution of invasive Red-eared Sliders, Trachemys scripta (Testudines: Emydidae) in the wetlands of Gujarat State, India. IRCF Reptiles and Amphibia, 26 (2): 145–150.
26. Vyas, R. (2020). A captive study of interactions between the invasive Red-eared Slider, Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied 1838), and native Indian turtles. IRCF Reptiles and Amphibia, 27 (2): 318–323.
27. Vyas, R. (2021). Presence of invasive Red-eared Terrapin Trachemys scripta elegans (Wide, 1838) as an emerging threat for the native freshwater turtle fauna of India. Jalaplavit, 11 (1): 10–30.
28. Vyas, R. and Patel, B. H. (1990). A survey of freshwater turtles of Gujarat. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 87:152–155.
29. Vyas, R., Vasava, A. and Mistry, V. (2020). Mistry: Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) interactions with discarded rubbish in Central Gujarat, India. Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter, 39 (2): 5–11.
30. Webb, G. (2008). Editorial. Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter, 27 (1): 3.
31. Webb, G. (1980). The identity of Testudo punctata Lacepède, 1788 (Testudines, Trionychidae). Bulletin de Muséum National Histoire Naturelle, Paris, Series 4, 2 (sec. A, no.2): 547–557.
32. Whitaker, R. (1997). Turtle rearing in village ponds, In: Van Abbema, J. (Ed.), Proceedings: Conservation, Restoration, and Management of Tortoises and Turtles--An International Conference. New York Turtle and Tortoise Society. pp. 106–108.
33. Whitaker, R., Basu, D. and Huchzermeyer, F. (2008). Update on gharial mass mortality in National Chambal Sanctuary. Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter, 27(1): 4–8.

Add your comments about this article : Your username or Email:
CAPTCHA

Send email to the article author


Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

  | Journal of Animal Diversity

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb