Extremely rare albino turtle
In October, a bright yellow turtle got caught in a fisherman’s net in West Bengal, India. The Indian flapshell turtle is normally green in color, but this one made waves because of pigmentation loss due to genetic mutation, Shailendra Singh of Indian Programme Director of Turtle Survival Alliance told The Times of India.
The rescued turtle was compared to melted cheese online. And it isn’t the only time a yellow turtle was spotted in the country—just a few months ago, villagers in Odisha also found this unusual freshwater species and handed it over to the forest department.
1The Indian flapshell turtle is commonly found in South Asian countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. According to wildlife biologist Sneha Dharwadkar, the rare yellow color of the turtle may be due to the lack of a pigment called tyrosine present in high amounts in reptiles. A genetic mutation or possible congenital disorder is likely responsible for the lack of tyrosine.
Indian flapshell turtles are typically are only 9 to 14 inches (22 centimeters to 35 centimeters) long, and like to eat frogs, snails and aquatic vegetation.
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