Indian Peacock Softshell Turtle

The Indian peacock softshell turtle is a large freshwater turtle native to South Asia and is listed as a Vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. Over nearly two centuries of study, the species has been described under numerous scientific names, reflecting its complex taxonomic history. Today it is firmly placed within the genus Nilssonia, which encompasses several South Asian softshell turtles.

Taxonomic History

The species has undergone extensive reclassification, having been assigned multiple generic and specific names in earlier literature. Historical synonyms include:

• Trionyx occellatus (Gray, 1830)
• Trionyx hurum (Gray, 1831)
• Gymnopus duvaucelii and Gymnopus ocellatus (Duméril & Bibron, 1835)
• Trionyx bellii, T. sewaare (Gray, 1872)
• Trionyx buchanani (Theobald, 1874)
• Isola hurum (Baur, 1893)
• Aspideretes hurum, Aspidonectes hurum, Tyrse hurum (Hay, early 20th century)
• Amyda hurum (Barbour, 1912)
• Gymnopus duvaucelli (Smith, 1931)

Additionally, Testudo chim (Buchanan-Hamilton, 1831) is a nomen nudum, lacking formal taxonomic standing.
The currently accepted scientific name, Nilssonia hurum, reflects modern phylogenetic revisions of the family Trionychidae.

Geographic Range

The Indian peacock softshell turtle is distributed across major river systems and freshwater habitats in:

• Bangladesh
• India — including Mizoram, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal
• Nepal
• Pakistan

The type locality lies between Fatehgarh and Barrackpore on the Ganges River in West Bengal, India. The species often inhabits large rivers, tributaries, lakes, floodplains and associated freshwater wetlands.

Physical Description

Although not fully detailed in the source text, the species is known for key morphological features typical of softshell turtles:

• A flattened, leathery carapace lacking scutes
• A long, tubular snout
• A large, rounded carapace that may exhibit ocelli (eye-like spots) in juveniles, giving rise to the name “peacock softshell”

Adults are robust and powerful swimmers, well adapted for life in turbid river waters.

Ecology and Habitat

Nilssonia hurum prefers freshwater ecosystems such as:

• Major rivers and tributaries
• Marshlands and oxbow lakes
• Flooded agricultural fields during monsoon seasons

It is carnivorous, feeding on fish, amphibians, invertebrates and occasionally carrion. As a large aquatic predator, it plays an important role in maintaining ecological balance in riverine systems.
The species often basks on sandbanks and river margins, fleeing quickly into the water when disturbed.

Conservation Status

Classified as Vulnerable, the Indian peacock softshell turtle faces several threats:

• Habitat destruction from river pollution, sand mining and dam construction
• Overharvesting for meat and traditional medicine
• Egg collection by local communities
• Fishing net entanglement
• Declining water quality and loss of nesting sites

Its slow reproductive rate and sensitivity to environmental change heighten its vulnerability.
Regional studies, such as those from Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan), report declining populations, underscoring the need for conservation action across its range.

Scientific Importance

The species features prominently in early zoological works by Gray, Anderson, Boulenger and others. Later studies, including Meylan’s phylogenetic analyses of the Trionychidae (1987), have clarified evolutionary relationships among Asian softshell turtles, supporting the placement of Nilssonia hurum within a distinct South Asian lineage.