Survey ~ turtles and tortoises ~

The only survey in Saiha (south Mizoram) featuring turtles - tortoises is by Pawar and Birand. In "A Survey of amphibians, reptiles and birds in Northeast India" they talk of their survey in Saiha (at Palak Lake) with other sites in Northeast India. Three species have been mentioned for Palak Lake ~
A. Yellow Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata)
B. Southeast Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys)
C. Southeast Asian Softshell Turtle (Amyda cartilaginea)

While the Southeast Asian Giant Tortoise Manouria emys shells we have seen often in the villages and had also helped release one in the Palak Lake, the current survey had us come across the shell of the Yellow Tortoise Indotestudo elongata.

We also saw (and this one alive !!) the Keeled Box Turtle (Coura mouhoti) in course of the survey and i recall it was the day when the terrain was really tough and all of us had really slowed down the pace of our walk. One of the colleagues saw this when he shifted a small stone to enable him to move ahead. It got scared and retreated inside its shell immediately. While CITES places it under Appendix II Indian laws dont accord it legal protection.

Thanking Firoz Ahmed for help with identification.