Turtles and turtles are also quite easy for pets to maintain. “Every reptile is very easy to keep. In fact, you can send a turtle or turtle by mail. Even if they didn`t eat anything for two or three days until they were knocked over, the turtle or turtle would survive and arrive in as good a state as it was sent,” said Aniruddha Mookerjee, a wildlife consultant for the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) at the University of Oxford. Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO of WWF-India, added: “Turtles and turtles are mainly scavengers and keep aquatic ecosystems clean, while some species help control snail and insect populations. It is important that they are preserved in their natural habitat. We hope that this study will shed light on the plight of turtles and freshwater turtles in India and lead to increased awareness and related actions. There are many different species of turtles in India, including the endangered river turtle. It is estimated that only about 1,500 river turtles remain in the wild. If we do not protect these turtles, they will disappear within a few years. “For more than a decade, our institution (KFRI) has been studying invasive alien species, and the latest is this turtle. With the active participation of the Forest Department, we collect these turtles and place them in the NCBI to learn more about them with the collaborative participation of experts from around the world,” Sajeev told Mongabay-India. In addition to educating people about the responsibility of owning pets, Dharwadkar and Sajeev admit that there are no perfect solutions to the red-eared dealer problem plaguing India.
“There are animal lovers who buy such turtles and release them into the waters because they think they are doing something good for nature through such an action. But they don`t distinguish between native and invasive species. In addition, they are less aware of the survival of species that were once domesticated and later suddenly exposed to nature,” Dharwadkar said. Like the Burmese python, which was introduced as a pet to the United States long ago and caused severe damage to the Everglades ecosystem in South Florida, the red-eared pusher has already severely affected India`s urban waters,” Sajeev said. According to him, vigilance must therefore be exercised against its spread in the Brahmaputra and other river ecosystems in the northeast. In addition, experts say India`s northeastern states are home to more than 72 percent of the country`s rare and endangered turtle and turtle species. But despite the high level of protection, their trade is flourishing. A 2019 report by TRAFFIC, an international wildlife trade monitoring organization, found that at least 100,000 turtles and freshwater turtles were illegally traded in India between September 2009 and September 2019. India has no regulations to monitor the trade in alien species in the country. “If this species (of turtle) is not controlled, it would destroy aquatic life across India. As an invasive species, red-eared repellents have no natural enemies. As omnivores, they pose a serious threat to aquatic animals and native plants as they compete with native turtles for resources,” warns Dharwadkar, who hails from Gujarat, another state known for the widespread spread of this species.
“To ensure the conservation of native species, awareness campaigns and large-scale measures are needed to contain their spread. These efforts must be community-based,” she said. The red-eared albino cursor is a species of turtle with pink skin and red ears. Unlike other sliders, which are mostly green and black, albinos have red or pink skin, often with bright yellow or white markings. They are also much smaller than other sliders, with an adult length of over 8 inches and a maximum weight of about 3 pounds. They are extremely rare. The price of a red-eared albino turtle in India is around Rs 12,500. We are working with conservation organizations Space for Giants and Freeland to protect endangered wildlife from poachers due to the conservation funding crisis caused by Covid-19.
Assistance is urgently needed to help rangers, local communities and law enforcement agencies prevent wildlife crime. Donate to end illegal wildlife trade HERE The yellow-bellied cursor is one of the most common freshwater turtle species in southeastern America. They are often seen on rocks or tree trunks in lakes, rivers and slow-flowing streams. They differ from other sliders by their yellow belly. Their shell is brown or black with yellow curly stripes. The average size of a yellow-bellied slider can vary from 5 to 8 inches, and the average lifespan of a yellow-bellied slider is between 20 and 40 years. The price of a yellow-bellied turtle in India is about Rs 2500/-. According to Sajeev, these invasive turtles threaten native species by competing with them for food, nesting and solar space, and hiding places. In addition, native turtles of India do not have proven immunity to parasites, and various diseases are spread by red-eared repellers. Normally, all turtle species can live for more than 20 years, and if an invasive species becomes free, it will pose a threat to local biodiversity for a long time, Sajeev says. Placed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, turtles and turtles enjoy the highest level of legal protection in the country.
“So if a species is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, its trade requires a minimum of three years` imprisonment, which can be extended to seven years. This is an identifiable crime and not releaseable,” Jose Louies, deputy director and head of the Wildlife Trust of India`s Wildlife Crime Division, told The Independent. “They therefore enjoy legal protection comparable to that of big cats such as tigers and leopards.” Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal emerged as the top two hotspots in terms of the total number of animals seized, accounting for more than 60 percent of all reported seizures in 19 states and two union territories of the country, indicating the sharp expansion of this illegal trade.