Rare sweetwater yellow turtle spotted in Odisha

Rare sweetwater yellow turtle spotted in Odisha
Image Source: Google

Balasore (Odisha): A rare sweetwater yellow turtle was spotted in a paddy field in Odishas Balasore district, officials said on Monday.

The reptile, deep yellow in colour, was rescued by a farmer, Basudev Mahapatra, from his paddy field at Sujanpur village under Soro block of the district on Sunday.

"Our officials have collected it and we are in touch with experts to have detailed knowledge of the species," Divisional Forest Officer of Balasore Wildlife Division, Biswaranjan Panda, told PTI.

The entire shell and exterior of the turtle are yellow, another senior forest official, B Acharya, said.

"Most probably it is an albino. One such aberration was recorded in Sindh a few years ago," Wildlife expert and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, Sushant Nanda, tweeted on Monday.

Nanda also posted a video and a photograph of the turtle which, he said, has pink eyes one indicative feature of albinism".

Local people gathered to see the rare turtle after it was found.