Out of 7 species of sea turtles are present in the world only 5 species are represented in India with a shore line of 7500 km only 2 species are present in Andhra Pradesh coast of 960 km in length. The two species are the Olive Ridley Lepidochelys Olivacea, common to all the coasts in India and the green turtle, Chelonia mydas, sporadic visits in Indian coast. All the 7 species of sea turtles are endangered. Even though the Olive Ridley is most common in Indian Ocean and worst victim of human depredation.
The population of sea turtles has dwindled because of their exploitation at alarming rates even though their life span is more than 100 years. Their commercially valuable carapace outer shell eggs, meat, calipee soup and oil made them vulnerable. But with their protection under Indian wildlife protection act, 1972 and amended in 1991 and special projects and rookeries and launched for their conservation and management enabled to protect them.
The monograph introduces the types of 7 species of sea turtles in the world, their classification as per the structure and carapace, their habits biology breeding, nesting behaviour eggs and incubation hatchlings predators threats extension programmes economic importance status and distribution conservation and management of the sea turtles and steps taken for their protection throughout the world and are presented in different chapters. |
