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Closeup of Indian flapshell turtle sunbathing at Wilpaththu, Sri Lanka
Funny story: in the dutch language, we typically use a single word for all types of turtles (freshwater, land, marine). Naturally, we translate that to the english word "turtle". So every time we spot one, no matter the type, we say "turtle!", and keep getting corrected by guides that sometimes it is a tortoise. A similar thing is true for the distinction between apes and monkeys, they are the same thing for us, based on language :)
Indian flapshell turtle is a fresh water species of turtle found in South Asia. The “Flap-shelled” name stems from the presence of femoral flaps that are located on the plastron. These flaps of skin serve the purpose of covering the limbs when they retract into the shell. It is unclear what protection the flaps offer against predators. They are widespread and common in the South Asian provinces.
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