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Indian Star Tortoise
Context:
Researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India and Panjab University have identified two genetically distinct groups of Indian star tortoises: northwestern India and southern India.
More on News:
- Researchers collected tissue samples from 14 locations, including 38 from northwestern India and 44 from southern India.
- The study involved mitochondrial gene sequencing (cytochrome B and NADH dehydrogenase 4) and microsatellite markers to analyse genetic diversity and population relationships.
Key Findings:
- Northwestern group: Largely genetically unchanged despite poaching and illegal activities.
- Southern group: Highly genetically diverse.
- Confirmation of two distinct evolutionary units (ESUs) for conservation.
- Conservation Impact: The study provides reliable genetic evidence to support better conservation efforts for the Indian star tortoise, benefiting both national and international wildlife agencies.
Historical Evolution:
- The Indian star tortoise group (Geochelone) spread across the subcontinent after its separation from the Gondwana supercontinent and collision with Eurasia.
- Evolution led to genetic divergence due to changing habitats (arid savannahs in the north and humid forests in the south).
About the Indian Star Tortoise:
- Scientific Name: Geochelone elegans
- Appearance: The Indian star tortoise has an obsidian shell with yellow star patterns.
- Habitat: Native to arid regions in northwest India, South India, and Sri Lanka.
- Diet: Herbivorous, They feed on grasses, leaves, flowers, fruits, and occasionally insects, carrion, and dung.
- Lifespan: 25-80 years
- Size: 15-38 cm (6-15 inches) in length
- Conservation Status: The species is endangered and listed in Appendix I of CITES and Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, offering it the highest protection under Indian law.
- Illegal Pet Trade: The Indian star tortoise is in high demand as an exotic pet, contributing to a global wildlife trafficking network.
- It is illegally trafficked across international borders, including through airports in Chennai and Singapore and the India-Bangladesh border.
- Threat of Unscientific Releases: The release of confiscated tortoises into the wild could worsen their survival, according to wildlife biologists.
- Challenges in Captivity: Tortoises bred in captivity may develop pyramid-shaped shells (due to nutritional deficiencies), complicating breeding and survival in the wild.
- Call for Public Awareness: Need for greater awareness regarding the legality of keeping exotic species as pets and adhering to conservation laws.
Conservation Recommendations:
- Do not mix the northwestern and southern populations when releasing confiscated tortoises to preserve genetic diversity and improve breeding.
- Caution against the problem of shell pyramiding in captive-bred tortoises, caused by nutritional deficiencies, which can affect breeding.
