Asian Giant Softshell Turtle

Prelims: General issues on Environmental ecology

Why in News?

A documentary on saving the Asian giant softshell turtle in Kasaragod wins the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 15^th Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival 2025.

• It is called as Asian giant softshell turtle due to its distribution in Asia.
  • Scientific name – Pelochelys cantorii
• In the local parlance, it is often referred to as Bhimanama (bhiman means giant and aama is turtle) and Palapoovan, since its features resemble palapoo or the flower of Indian devil’s tree.

Asian Giant Softshell Turtle is also known as the Cantor’s giant softshell turtle, after Dr Theodore Edward Cantor, a zoologist and botanist.

• Nativity – It is native to the rivers of South and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and India.
• Habitat – Mainly inland, slow-moving, freshwater rivers, lakes, streams, and estuaries but also extends to coastal areas.
• Characteristics – The olive-brown turtles, long for a freshwater turtle (1 metre) and one of the largest, weighing up to 100 kgs.
• It has broad head with eyes close to the tip of the snout, a frog-like appearance and so the name ‘Frog Head Turtle’.
• Secretive nature – They lie buried and motionless in the riverbed, with only their eyes and mouth protruding from the sand.

• They surface only twice a day to take a breath and capture their prey by sit-and-wait strategy using an element of surprise.
• Threat – Harvesting by local people for meat, accidental killing and persecution from fishermen when caught in fishing gear, and the destruction of its freshwater and coastal habitats.
• Protection status
  • IUCN – Critically Endangered (CR)
  • CITES – Appendix II
  • Wildlife Protection Act,1972 – Schedule 1

​​​​​​​

In Kerala, there are continued efforts in Kasaragod to protect the nests and release the hatchlings into the Chandragiri River.

Reference

The Hindu| Documentary on Saving Asian Giant Softshell Turtle