Star Tortoise, Otters get Higher Protection at CITES
India’s proposal to upgrade the protection of star tortoises (Geochelone elegans), the smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and small-clawed otters (Anoyx cinereus) in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Wild Fauna and Flora) have been approved. These species have been listed under Appendix I of CITES and will now enjoy the highest degree of protection as there will be a complete international ban enforced on their trade. The upgradation was approved at the Conference of the Parties (COP18) held at Geneva.
Indian Star Tortoise
The Indian Star Tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is a threatened species of tortoise found in dry areas and scrub forest in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
This species is quite popular in the exotic pet trade, which is the main reason it is endangered.
They are mostly herbivorous and feed on grasses, fallen fruit, flowers, and leaves of succulent plants, and will occasionally eat carrion.
Smooth-coated Otter
The smooth-coated otter is an otter species occurring in most of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with a disjunctive population in Iraq.
As its name indicates, the fur of this species is smoother and shorter than that of other otter species.
It has been recorded in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, southwest China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesian islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Java, and Brunei.
It occurs in areas where fresh water is plentiful — wetlands and seasonal swamps, rivers, lakes, and rice paddies. Where it is the only occurring otter species, it lives in almost any suitable habitat.
Although it is often found in saltwater near the coast, especially on smaller islands, it requires a nearby source of fresh water.