Mysterious deaths of aquatic reptiles, with special emphasis on the Indian Flap-shelled turtle Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre, 1789) from Gujarat State, India

The freshwater ecosystems in Gujarat State, in the western part of India, are important habitats for various freshwater turtles. Due to the lack of information on survival and the morality of the freshwater turtles, we present new information on threats to the the Indian Flap-shelled turtle Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre) and species mass mortalities observed in some water bodies of the Gujarat State. Approximately 1071 specimens of L. punctata and three specimens of the Ganges Soft-shelled turtle Nilssonia gangetica (Cuvier), along with large numbers of many other species of reptiles and fishes were recorded dead within a span of five years from January 2016 to December 2020. In some of the cases, the circumstantial evidence suggests that entanglement and trapping in fish nets could have been the reason, but large number of the deaths remained mysterious. This mysterious sudden death of aquatic reptiles in various water bodies of the state is of serious concern. We also discuss the possible explanation for these mysterious deaths.