Due to the encroachment of wetlands, turtles are at high risk. According to researchers, the number of these species may decrease due to the lack of food and suitable habitat.
A team of scientists discovered more than two dozen turtles named 'Black Softshell' which were listed as endangered two years ago in Betna Wetland at Belbari in Morang. So far, 17 species of turtles and two subspecies have been found in Nepal. 13 of them have hard bones and four species have soft shells.
Turtles living in wetlands are more likely to be at risk if less importance is given to conservation Associate Professor of Zoology Ramchandra Adhikari said. Rajan Pokhrel of Belbari-11 said that turtles, which were seen in abundance in the wetlands in the past years, have become less visible in recent years.
Govinda Prasad Pokharel, the conservation officer of the National Nature Conservation Fund, has mentioned that a study done in the wetlands of Morang, due to the use of concrete in the wetlands, turtles and other species can affect the activities such as coming to the river banks and blooming. Pokharel, who has been researching wetland conservation in Morang for about a decade, informed that so far more than a dozen turtles have been rescued and released in different wetlands.
According to him, temperature determines whether a turtle's 'egg' is male or female. When the temperature is slightly higher than the average, the female emerges and when the temperature is lower, the male emerges. Therefore, due to the increase in temperature due to climate change, this species can also be affected naturally, he said. What are the causes of climate change in the reproduction of this species? Pokharel said that although there is no study that it will affect, due to climate change, the ecological system will deteriorate and species will be negatively affected.
Many species of turtles live in wetlands. In Nepal Among the turtles found, only the elongate tortoise (Lamche turtle, Thotari) and the three-legged turtle (Tricarinata) are found on land. Conservation Officer Pokharel says that these species are in danger due to human encroachment, deforestation and fires. He said that activities such as deforestation, fires, urbanization, depletion of water resources, activity of throwing pesticides in forest areas, hunting and domestication will further endanger this species.
