Indian softshell turtle: Difference between revisions

{{distinguishDistinguish|text=other species with similar common names at [[Indian softshell turtle (disambiguation)]] }}

| synonyms_ref = <ref name="Fritz 2007">{{Cite journal|journal=Vertebrate Zoology |title=Checklist of Chelonians of the World |year=2007 |author=Fritz Uwe |author2=Peter Havaš |volume=57 |issue=2 |pages=310 |issndoi=1864-5755 |url=http://www.cnah10.org3897/pdf_files/851vz.pdf |archive-url=https://web57.archive.org/web/20110501060224/http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/851.pdfe30895 |archivedoi-dateaccess=1 May 2011free |access-dateissn=29 May 2012 |url1864-status=dead5755 }}</ref>

The '''Indian softshell turtle''' ('''''Nilssonia gangetica'''''), or '''Ganges softshell turtle''' is a [[species]] of [[softshell turtle]] found in [[South Asia]] in rivers such as the [[Ganges]], [[Indus]] and [[Mahanadi river|Mahanadi]]. This [[Vulnerable species|vulnerable]] turtle reaches a carapace length of up to {{convert|94|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Ernst>Ernst, C.H.; Altenburg, R.G.M.; and Barbour, R.W. (1997). ''[http://wbd.etibioinformatics.nl/bis/turtles.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=208 Aspideretes gangeticus] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104438/http://wbd.etibioinformatics.nl/bis/turtles.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=208 |date=2016-03-04 }}'', Turtles of the World. Retrieved 17 June 2014.</ref> It feeds mostly on fish, [[amphibian]]s, carrion and other animal matter, but also takes aquatic plants.<ref name=Ernst/> This turtle is listed in part II of Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and possession of this species is an offence.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SC: Possession of 'Indian Flap Shell Turtle' not an offence under the Wildlife Protection Act [Read Judgment]|url=https://www.latestlaws.com/latest-news/sc-possession-of-indian-flap-shell-turtle-not-an-offence-under-the-wildlife-protection-act-read-judgment/|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Latest Laws|language=en}}</ref>

This species is often found to occur in the [[Indus]], [[Ganges]]/[[Padma]], [[Meghna]], [[Brahmaputra]], [[Jamuna River (Bangladesh)|Jamuna]], [[Narmada]] and [[Mahanadi]] basins and most of their tributaries and intervening drainages and in the countries of [[Afghanistan]], [[Bangladesh]], [[India]] (Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal), Southern [[Nepal]] and [[Pakistan]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/en|title=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Nilssonia gangetica|first1=G. a. A.|last1=Indraneil Das (GRA|first2=Mohammed Firoz|last2=Ahmed (Aaranyak)|first3=B. C.|last3=Choudhury|first4=Shailendra|last4=Singh|date=13 March 2018|journal=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species|access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/238650|title=Nilssonia gangetica (Cuvier, 1825)|website=Indiabiodiversity.org|access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref>

* [[Indian flapshell turtle]]

[[Category:Reptiles of South Asia]]