Context – A critically endangered species, the elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata), was spotted in Haryana’s Damdama area during a research survey in the Aravallis.
Key facts related to elongated tortoise:
- The species, also called the Sal forest tortoise, normally occurs in open deciduous forest patches, including Sal (Shorea robusta) and evergreen forest habitats, dry thorn forests, and savannah grasslands.
- The species is found in the Asian countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam.
- In and around India, it is found in the Manas-Bhutan transboundary landscape, Corbett-Rajaji-Nepal Terai landscape, and northeast Myanmar and northeast Bangladesh transboundary landscape. There is an isolated population in Odisha also (Chhotanagpur region).
- Over 90 percent of the habitat of the critically endangered elongated tortoise falls outside the protected area (PA) network in the Indian subcontinent.
- In India, the Sal forest tortoise is one of the 29 species (24 turtles + 5 tortoises) of freshwater tortoise and turtles.
- It is listed in Appendix II of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES).
- This perhaps the only tortoise species in the Indian subcontinent that has the largest geographical distribution. However, everywhere it is rare.
