Know The Reason Behind the Unique Colour Of This Turtle From Balasore!

Know The Reason Behind the Unique Colour Of This Turtle From Balasore!

A rare albino turtle discovered by a farmer of Balasore on Sunday has piqued the curiosity of people, not just across the state, but within the country. The turtle, yellow in colour, has already become a viral sensation. People across the country have been sharing the videos and pictures of the turtle for its unique shell colour. 

Immediately after getting the information about the rare discovery, the wildlife warden of Balasore forest division took possession of the turtle. According to the wildlife experts, this is not a new species, rather it is a regular freshwater Indian Flapshell turtle commonly found in South Asian Countries like Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Burma. Susanta Nanda, an Indian Forest Services (IFS) officer and Chief Executive of Chilika Development Authority shared that it is an albino turtle. “It is an Indian Flap shell Turtle born with a genetic disorder. Albino is a condition where the animal is born without pigments. The turtle looks yellow as it has no pigments which is a rare condition,” he said. 

Nanda stated that this is not the first instance of an albino turtle being discovered. “A few years back in Pakistan as well, an albino turtle was found,” he shared. During several occasions across the world, people have spotted such albino animals. Bhitarkanika National Park is home to a rare white crocodile named Gori. Gori was also the mascot of Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi in 2010.

Similarly, there have been several reports of spotting of white snakes in Odisha. There were three rare white giraffes in Kenya of which two had been killed by poachers in March 2020. Albinism is a disorder with less or no production of the pigment melanin. The amount of melanin production in the body determines the colour of the skin, hair and eyes.