Haryana

• 10 Sep 2024

Critically Endangered Elongated Tortoise spotted in Aravallis

Why in News?

Recently, a critically endangered elongated tortoise was spotted for the first time in the Aravallis.

Key Points

• Elongated tortoise: Characterized by a yellowish-brown or olive shell with distinct black blotches at the center of each scute, was found in Haryana's Damdama area.
  • During the breeding season, mature tortoises develop a pink ring around their nostrils and eyes.
• Habitat and Distribution:The elongated tortoise is found in Sal deciduous and hilly evergreen forests.
  • Its distribution spans Southeast Asia, from northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh in the west, through Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina, north to Guangxi Province of China, and south to Peninsular Malaysia.
  • A disjunct population exists in the Chota Nagpur plateau in eastern India.
  • It also inhabits lowlands and foothills up to 1,000 meters above sea level.
  • The tortoise's presence in the Aravallis is an anomaly as it is usually found in the foothills of the Himalayas and wetter areas.
• Conservation Status:Elongated tortoises are critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, assessed in 2018.
  • The species is heavily exploited for food and traditional medicine, with opportunistic and deliberate hunting, and the use of dogs to locate tortoises.

Aravalis

• The Aravali Range extends from Gujarat to Delhi through Rajasthan, 692 km in length and varies between 10 to 120 km in width.
  • The range acts as a natural green wall, with 80% located in Rajasthan and 20% in Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat.
• The aravali mountains are divided into two, main ranges – the Sambhar Sirohi Range and the Sambhar Khetri Range in Rajasthan, where their extension is about 560 km.
• It serves as an ecotone between the Thar Desert and the Gangetic Plain.
  • Ecotones are areas where two or more ecosystems, biological communities, or biotic regions meet.
• Gurusikhar (Rajasthan), the highest peak in the range, reaches an elevation of 1,722 meters.