A review of the biogeography, diversity, and current conservation status of turtles and tortoises in South Asia

There are approximately 357 turtles and tortoise species worldwide, of which 33freshwater turtles (terrapins)and tortoise speciesare found in the Indian subcontinent (South Asia).According to the IUCN Red List analysis, 85% of South Asian turtle species are threatened; vulnerable(VU),critically endangered(CR), andendangered(EN), while the remaining 15% are at low risk;least concern(LC) or near threatened(NT). This study focuses on the current conservation status and information regarding its biogeography, distribution, and diversity. The authorsevaluated existing records of South Asian tortoises and freshwater turtles. This review discusses the checklists and proposes integratingecological and molecular biology concepts to providemore comprehensive informationaboutbiogeography, diversity, and the current conservation status of turtles and tortoises of the Indian subcontinent.