First report of melanism in Indian Flapshell Turtle Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre, 1789) from a turtle trading market of West Bengal, India

Abstract

Melanism is excessive production of the darkcolored pigment melanin in the skin or skin appendages either as intraspecific polymorphisms or as fixed differences between closely related species (Chavin 1969; True 2003). The Indian Flapshell Turtle Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre, 1789), is a freshwater softshell turtle species distributed throughout Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan (Bhupathy et al. 2014).