Cane Turtle

Vijayachelys silvatica

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing the cane turtle. This endangered reptile is endemic to India. It was first described by science in 1911 from only two individuals and then wasn't seen again for 70 years! The only place it lives on earth is the moist evergreen forest of the Western Ghats– a mountain range running parallel to India's western coast. Here, the cane turtle spends its time in leaf litter and other decomposing organic matter.

Although it has the name “turtle,” much like box turtles, cane turtles spend their lives outside of water. They're terrestrial turtles! Of course, they still need water to survive, and are often found living close to it. In fact, the environment cane turtles inhabit is so damp, they actually grow algae on their shells! Fascinatingly, other turtle species that live in their range don't do this. It's unknown what purpose the algae serves for the cane turtles, although one hypothesis is that it helps with temperature regulation.

Cane turtles are difficult to spot in their forest floor home. They have a flattened, brown shell which helps them navigate tight spaces. Plus, they're listed as the smallest living turtle species in India. Cane turtles only reach about 5 inches, 13 centimeters, long across their shell. Females are slightly larger than males, likely to accommodate for the eggs they produce. On average, these tiny turtles only weigh about 7 ounces, 200 grams. Apart from size, one way to tell male and female cane turtles apart is to gaze into their eyes. The “white” of their eyes, which is called the sclera, is actually red and this is more pronounced in males.

Cane turtles enjoy a variety of foods found on the forest floor. Invertebrates such as earthworms, snails, millipedes, and various insects populate their diet. These turtles also consume fruits such as jackfruit and jungle pears as well as mushrooms. Unfortunately, there are likely only a few thousand individual cane turtles alive as of this recording. These reptiles are threatened by habitat loss due to construction of dams throughout their range as well as uncontrolled forest fires. They're also locally hunted as a source of food.

There's actually not enough known about cane turtles to confidently say how long they live. Females likely take 5 or more years to start reproducing. Cane turtles mate in the rainy season between June and November and eggs are laid in January and February. Each nest contains 1 to 4 eggs. These are laid under logs or in leaf litter and are covered up to help protect them from predators. Little else is known about the cane turtle's life cycle.

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