Indian Flapshell turtle closeup on Wilpaththu path, Sri Lanka
This turtle simply wouldn't move, our driver had to get out of the car and lift it to the side of the path. One cool observation in Sri Lanka is that in general (with a few exceptions), people are very respectful towards animals, probably originating from Buddhist beliefs: every form of life deserves to live. Even mosquitoes and leeches aren't squashed, they are just chased away.
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.
