Context:

The elongated tortoise, a critically endangered species was spotted in Haryana’s Damdama area during a research survey in the Aravallis.

Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongate)

Physical Description: 

• The tortoise is medium-sized with a yellowish brown or olive shell and distinct black blotches at the centre of each scute.
• Nostril a Pink ring appears during the breeding season
• Mature individuals of both sexes develop a distinct pinkish colouration surrounding the nostrils and eyes during the season. 

Habitat and Distribution:

• The tortoise is found in the Sal deciduous and hilly evergreen forests. 
• The species is widely distributed across northeast India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia.
• Disjunct population exists in the Chota Nagpur plateau, eastern India.
• It also inhabits lowlands and foothills of up to 1,000 m above sea level.

Conservation status: 

• Tortoise was assessed for the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of threatened species in 2018 and are listed as critically endangered under criteria A2cd.
• It is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES).

Threat:

• It is heavily exploited for food and traditional medicine.
• Local people often opportunistically capture tortoises while farming or extracting other forest resources.