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Invasive south red-eared slider turtle poses threat to Indian biodiversity
Context
Recently, it has been observed that the presence of invasive and non-native south red-eared slider turtles would lead to the extinction of native species of their own kind in Indian waters.
About
- The red-eared slider are native to south-eastern USA and Mexico, but have found their way across the globe.
- These species are brought for sale and trading purposes to different countries including India.
Is it legal?
- In India, keeping indigenous turtles as pets is prohibited under the wildlife protection act. But the foreign breeds are not restricted and are kept as pets in many families across the country.
- Features:
- Scientific name: Trachemys scripta elegans
- It is considered to a good pet, as it needs less maintenance.
- They are also
- As they grow bigger, people sometimes release them into waterbodies.
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India is home to 29 freshwater turtles and tortoise species of the 356 turtle species recognised worldwide and around 80 per cent of them are threatened, according to a 2020 report. |
Existence in India
- This species is already spread across many Indian states and poses a threat to indigenous species of its kind, including soft-shell and hard-shell
- It is widely found in urban wetlands, such as — Sukhna lake in Chandigarh, temple ponds of Guwahati, lakes of Bengaluru, Sanjay Gandhi national park in Mumbai, Yamuna river in Delhi — among other water bodies.
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Invasive species, also called introduced species, alien species, or exotic species, any non-native species are those that significantly modifies or disrupts the ecosystems it colonizes. |
How it acts as an Invasive species?
- The species is considered as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive non-native species.
- It has been brought to India during the British era.
- Initially introduced in Kolkata, the plant is now present across the water bodies in the country, choking them and affecting the local biodiversity.
- These species tend to survive on weeds and food of indigenous turtle population, and destroys the natural ecosystem for them.
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