Turtles are a wonderful group of vertebrates, but their conservation status and the availability of ecological information remain a mystery. They are found throughout the Terai, in a variety of ecological conditions, and are threatened by anthropogenic activities in terms of habitat and population. There is a gap in species knowledge due to ambiguity in species occurrence, a lack of threat assessments, and the perceived risks of population decreases under booming exploitation and commerce. There are upto 16 species of turtles recorded from Nepal.
- Indotestudo elongata
Elongated tortoise
Nepali name: Bhain kachua, Ageri, Thotari
Habitat: Forests and woodland of siwalik and terai
2. Melanochelys tricarinata
Tricarinate hill turtle
Nepali name: Padani kachhuwa
Habitat: Humid areas in grasslands along river systems and moist forest of siwaliks or churia himalayan foot hills
3. Melanochelys trijuga Indopeninsularis
Indian black turtle
Nepali name: Padani kachhuwa
Habitat: Stagnant waters with dense vegetation
4. Morenia petersi
Indian eyed or Ocellated turtle
Nepali name: kachua
Habitat: Quiet water bodies, also from rivers where it is sandbanks or shores
5. Kachuga dhongoka
Three striped roofed turtle
Nepali name: Kachua, Dhodari
Habitat: big river systems and its tributaries
6. Kachuga flaviventries
Yellow bellied roofed turtle
Nepali name: Kachuha
Habitat: small and big river systems
7. Kachuga smithi
Brown roofed turtle
Nepali name: Kachuha
Habitat: Prefers river systems but to some extent also stagnant waters
8. Kachuga tectum
Indian roofed turtle
Nepali name: Dharkhechuwa
Habitat: prefer standing or slow moving water bodies
9. Lissemys punctata
Indian flap-shelled turtle
Nepali name: Putali kachhuwa, Goraiya
Habitat: stagnant waters like pond or slow flowing rivers, were common even enters paddy fields, ditches and other water bodie created by human
10. Chitra indica
Narrow headed softshell turtle
Nepali name: Badahar, Kachua, kataiya
Habitat: Big rivers and prefers to bury itself in sand in ambush for prey
11. Aspideretes gangeticus
Indian softshell turtle
Nepali name: Ghidiya, Kachhuwa, seto bahar
Habitat: prefers to live in rivers but may also be found in ponds and lakes
12. Aspideretes hurum
Indian peacock softshell turtle
Nepali name: Badahar, Kachhuwa
Habitat: found in rivers and streams but also in lakes and ponds
13. Geoclemys hamiltonii
Black pond turtle
Habitat: Moist deciduous forest, waterholes, slow moving natural streams and ponds
14. Pangshura tentoria
Indian tent turtle
Habitat: Rivers, oxbow lakes, ponds with abundant vegetation, flowing rivers – small to large, and deep to shallow.
15. Hardella thurjii
Brahminy river turtle
Habitat: freshwater (rivers, lakes)
16. Cyclemys gemeli
Assam leaf turtle
Habitat: Small streams and abundant leaf litters conditions close to water body.
Sources:
- Aryal, Prakash, C., Dhamala, Man K., Bhurtel, Bed P., Suwal, Madan K., and Rijal, Bishal. 2010.Turtles of Nepal: A field guide for species accounts and distribution . Environmental Graduates in Himalaya (EGH), Resources Himalaya Foundation and Companions for Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal (CARON).Kathmandu,Nepal.
- Hermann Schleich (2000), Turtles of Nepal a children’s colouring book. ARCO-Nepal reg. soc. & Fuhlrott-Museum
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