People spotted Hill Turtle for the first time

Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary has a new guest. A three keeled land turtle  (M tricarinata) has been spotted in the sanctuary for the first time. The species is covered in the Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed it as an endangered species. Divisional forest officer of Haldwani, Chandrashekhar said that the species has earlier been spotted in the Rajaji Tiger Reserve and Corbett Tiger Reserve. Sub-divisional officer Rajesh Srivastav spotted it in Nandhaur where a detailed survey will be conducted to protect the species. According to forest officials, there is very limited knowledge on the population status, habitat requirements, diet or breeding biology of the Hill turtle. According to R Suresh Kumar, senior scientist, Department of endangered species management from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, the Tricarinate hill turtle has not been studied extensively. Crucial aspects like breeding biology, activity pattern and habitat requirements need to be delved in. It has been observed that these species hibernate during winter months and further study is necessitated on this subject. The Himalayan foothills and riverine grasslands along the rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra are habitats for the Hill Turtle.