945 freshwater turtles of seven species recorded in Kaziranga

A total of 945 freshwater turtles belonging to seven species have been recorded during a survey along the River Brahmaputra in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), a Park official said on Tuesday.

The fifth annual survey of aquatic reptiles, with a special focus on freshwater turtles and tortoises of the landscape, was conducted by the park authorities in collaboration with the India Turtle Conservation Programme (ITCP) from January 14 to 18.

The Brahmaputra River supports one of the richest biodiversities in the region and is recognised globally as a freshwater biodiversity hotspot and Turtle Priority Area. The Kaziranga landscape alone harbours 17 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises out of the 32 species recorded in India.

The rapid boat survey covered a 174 km stretch of the Brahmaputra River flowing through KNPTR, and documented a total of 945 freshwater turtles — 876 hardshell and 69 softshell — belonging to seven species. There were 55 direct sightings of hard-shell turtles and 13 sightings of soft-shell turtles, including four Black softshell turtles.

The Black Softshell Turtle, a critically endangered species endemic to the Brahmaputra basin, faces severe threats from habitat loss, predation, and over-exploitation, but conservation efforts in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Nagshankar Temple in Biswanath district offer hope, the official said.

In addition to turtles, the survey recorded 92 species of birds, along with the smooth-coated otter, Gangetic River dolphin, and the iconic ‘big five’ megafauna of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve-the tiger, greater one-horned rhinoceros, elephant, swamp deer, and wild water buffalo.