The people of Sujanpur, a city located in the Odisha state, recently came across a unique golden turtle and took it upon themselves to rescue it. They handed over the rare creature to the local forestry agency for further care and protection.
A video of a cute little turtle was shared on social media by Mr. Susanta Nanda, an employee of The Indian Forest Service (IFS). He speculated that the turtle could have albinism as it had pink eyes, which is a common characteristic of this condition. The video also depicts the turtle swimming in a pot of water. Many people took to Twitter to express their amazement, stating that they had never seen an all-yellow turtle before.
When people think of albino animals, they often picture white creatures. However, it’s important to note that the albino coloration of animals, turtles included, can also come in shades of red, orange, pink, or yellow due to some remaining pigmentation on their skin. In fact, there are albino turtles swimming around with unique and vibrant colorations.
In India, there exists a type of turtle that is commonly found in its typical color. However, there is a rare variety of this species known as the yellow turtle. Its rarity is such that only one out of every ten thousand baby turtles belong to this category. This also means that their survival rate in the wild is quite low.
Turtles are a type of reptile known as Testudines, which have a unique shell that is mostly developed from their ribs. There are over 360 species of turtles, including tortoises and terrapins, that can be found on every continent and in oceans. The two groups of turtles are distinguished by the way their head retracts: Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked turtles). Turtle shells are made of bone and are covered in keratin scales. They are ectothermic animals and mainly feed on plants and animals with limited movements. Some turtles migrate short distances seasonally, while sea turtles migrate long distances to lay their eggs on specific beaches. Turtles are often kept as pets, have appeared in myths and folktales worldwide, and have been hunted for their meat, shells, and use in traditional medicine. Due to human activities and habitat destruction, many turtle species are threatened with extinction. The name “turtle” comes from the French word “tortue,” and the official name for the order is Testudines, based on the Latin word “testudo.”
