ASIAN GIANT TORTOISE
1. Context
The critically endangered Asian giant tortoise, the largest in mainland Asia, has been reintroduced into the Zeliang Community Reserve in Nagaland’s Peren.
2. Asian giant tortoise
- The Asian giant tortoise, scientifically known as Manouria emys, is the largest tortoise species found in mainland Asia. This slow-moving herbivore is native to the forested regions of Southeast Asia, including India (particularly the Northeast), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and parts of Indonesia. It inhabits moist deciduous and evergreen forests, often in hilly or mountainous terrain where the climate remains humid and cool.
- This tortoise is notable for its large, domed shell which can grow up to 60 centimeters in length, and its strong, elephantine limbs that help it navigate through dense undergrowth and muddy forest floors.
- Unlike many other tortoises, the Asian giant tortoise prefers cooler, wetter environments, and it is usually active during the early morning and late afternoon, resting during the heat of the day.
- One of the fascinating aspects of this species is its nesting behavior. The female constructs a large nest mound made of vegetation, which she guards actively for several weeks—an unusual trait among tortoises, which typically leave their eggs unattended after laying them.
- Primarily herbivorous, the Asian giant tortoise feeds on a variety of plant materials such as leaves, fruits, mushrooms, and grasses. It plays an important ecological role as a seed disperser in its forest ecosystem.
- Unfortunately, the Asian giant tortoise faces serious threats due to habitat destruction, illegal wildlife trade, and hunting for its meat and shell.
- As a result, it is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is protected under Schedule IV of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Conservation efforts are ongoing in various parts of its range, including habitat preservation and breeding programs
3. Reasons for endangered status of Asian giant tortoise
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- The Asian giant tortoise (Manouria emys) is classified as Endangered due to a combination of natural and human-induced threats. Its declining population is the result of several interrelated factors that have made survival increasingly difficult for this species across its native range.
- One of the most significant threats to the Asian giant tortoise is the destruction of its forest habitat. Expanding agriculture, logging, infrastructure development, and human settlement have led to widespread deforestation in the tropical and subtropical forests of South and Southeast Asia. This has reduced the availability of suitable nesting and foraging grounds, making it difficult for the species to thrive
- The tortoise is heavily targeted by poachers for its meat, which is considered a delicacy in some regions, and for use in traditional medicine. It is also captured for the illegal pet trade, both locally and internationally. Despite legal protections, enforcement is often weak, and trade continues in black markets.
- Like many tortoises, the Asian giant tortoise has a slow reproductive rate. Females lay relatively few eggs and take many years to reach sexual maturity. This makes it difficult for populations to recover quickly from losses due to poaching or environmental changes.
- Even when nesting is successful, eggs and young hatchlings face high predation rates from animals such as monitor lizards, wild pigs, and dogs. Because adults are large and well-protected by their shells, they have few natural predators, but the young are especially vulnerable.
- Human activities such as collection for zoos, disturbance of nesting sites, use of fire in forests, and grazing by livestock all negatively impact tortoise populations. In many places, local communities are unaware of the ecological importance or protected status of the species.
- Changing temperature and rainfall patterns are beginning to affect the microhabitats in which the tortoise thrives. Climate change may also impact nesting behavior, sex ratios of hatchlings (which can be temperature-dependent), and food availability
4. Schedule IV of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
- Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is one of the six schedules under the Act that classifies wild animals and plants based on the level of protection they require
- Schedule IV includes animals that are protected but with comparatively lesser protection than those listed in Schedule I and II. Offences involving species listed in this schedule are subject to lower penalties
- While Schedule IV animals are not critically endangered, they are still important components of India’s wildlife and ecosystem. The schedule aims to ensure that common species do not become vulnerable or threatened over time due to neglect or overexploitation.
- This classification allows authorities to allocate resources and focus on stricter protection for species in Schedule I and II, while still maintaining a legal mechanism to prevent harm to moderately vulnerable species
Examples of Species under Schedule IV:
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5. What is the Critically Endangered Status?
- The Critically Endangered (CR) status is the highest risk category assigned by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on its Red List of Threatened Species. It indicates that a species faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future
- A species is classified as Critically Endangered when it meets specific scientific criteria that signal it is on the brink of extinction. These criteria are based on population size, rate of decline, geographic range, and other factors that assess the species’ overall survival prospects
IUCN Criteria for Critically Endangered Status (at least one of the following must apply):
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Population decline of ≥90% over the last 10 years or 3 generations, whichever is longer.
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Fewer than 250 mature individuals remaining, with a continuing decline.
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Severely fragmented population or occurrence in only one location.
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Extremely small geographic range (extent of occurrence <100 km² or area of occupancy <10 km²).
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Quantitative analysis shows a ≥50% probability of extinction in the wild within 10 years or three generations
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For Prelims: Critically Endangered, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
For Mains: GS III - Environment and Ecology
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Previous Year Questions
1.The "Red Data Books" published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) contain lists of (UPSC CSE 2011)
1. Endemic plant and animal species present in the biodiversity hotspots.
2. Threatened plant and animal species.
3. Protected sites for the conservation of nature and natural resources in various countries.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
A.1 and 3
B.2 only
C.2 and 3
D.3 only
Answer (B)
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Source: The Hindu
