Lissemys punctata
Silhouette: Armin Reindl · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~80%
The Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata) is a freshwater species of turtle found in South Asia. The "flap-shelled" name stems from the presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron. These flaps of skin cover the limbs when they retract into the shell. What protection the flaps offer against predators is unclear. Indian flapshell turtles are widespread and common in the South Asian provinces. It is morphologically an evolutionary link between the softshell and hardshell aquatic turtles. Exploitation for profit and habitat change are threats to their survival.
The carapace of L. punctata viewed from above is broadly oval in adults, but more circular in young, widest just anterior to hind limbs. The width of the disc is 77–86% of its length, the carapace is moderately arched, shell height is 35.0–40.5% of carapace length, the margin of the carapace is smooth and slightly flared posteriorly, the marginal bones are not united with the pleurals, the plastron is large but mostly cartilaginous, and its length is 88–97% of the carapace length. A pair of large flaps can be closed over the hind limbs with a smaller flap over tail; seven plastral callosities are present... Wikipedia →
Recording0:12
India · 2024
© sudhamathy · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Nandankanan Zoological Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Nehru Zoological Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Jijamata Udyaan | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Children's Park, Guindy | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Crocodile Bank | 🇮🇳 India |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Flap-shelled Turtle sighting in Keoladeo National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 8 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Flap-shelled Turtle in Keoladeo National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October and December–January, the lowest months. That is one of Keoladeo National Park's wettest months, with about 230 mm of rain against 5 mm in November. May and June have too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Indian Flap-shelled Turtle sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Indian Flap-shelled Turtle sightings, Keoladeo National Park ranks 4th at about 20%. The best odds are in Kanha National Park (India, about 40%), Ranthambore National Park (India, about 30%) and Satpura National Park (India, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Indian Flap-shelled Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Keoladeo National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
