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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on January 21, 2025

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Olive Ridley turtles

For Preliminary Examination:  IUCN Red list, Vulnerable species

For Mains Examination: GS III -  Environment & ecology

Context:

Over the past two weeks, numerous dead olive ridley turtles have washed ashore in Tamil Nadu, particularly in Chennai. Experts have estimated that so far, between 300 and 350 turtles have been found dead.

Read about:

Habitat of Olive ridley Turtles

Threats to Olive ridley Turtles

Key takeaways: 

• Olive ridley turtles begin appearing near the Tamil Nadu coast around September and October for breeding, with their nesting season spanning from late November to March.
• While turtle mortalities during this time are not unusual, the discovery of numerous carcasses so early in the season has raised concerns among conservationists and local residents.
• According to officials from the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, precise data on the deaths is still being compiled. Reports of similar incidents have also come from Pulicat in Thiruvallur district, located north of Chennai.
• Discovering olive ridley carcasses during their mating season is a common occurrence. These turtles mate in nearshore waters, and females arrive in small groups to nest on Tamil Nadu’s beaches.
• However, they often fall victim to bycatch, becoming unintentionally trapped in the fishing nets of commercial trawlers, leading to their deaths, as experts point out. Olive ridley turtles lay eggs along the coastlines of multiple Indian states, with mass nesting concentrated in Odisha, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
• In Odisha, beaches like Gahirmatha and Rushikulya host the arrival of hundreds of thousands of female olive ridleys annually. Using their flippers, the turtles create nests in the sand and lay between 100 and 110 eggs in each. They then cover the nests with sand to protect them from predators before returning to the sea.
• After about 45-60 days, thousands of hatchlings emerge and head toward the ocean. At nesting sites where disturbances from humans or predators are likely, Forest Departments establish hatcheries.
• Eggs are carefully collected from the nests and placed in these protected environments. Once the eggs hatch, the juvenile turtles are released near the sea to ensure their survival

Answer (b)   The Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica), also known as the South Asian river dolphin, was declared the National Aquatic Animal of India in 2009. This designation highlights its ecological importan Share to Social IMPM KEYS Plans You need Login/Register first. Login Register Close Total Attempted: Not Attempted: Mark as Review: Submit Close Register now Sign Up Already have an account? Sign In Continue with google Close