Indian flapshell turtle

Indian flapshell turtle; Temporal range: Miocene to recent,
	L. p. andersoni at Rajaji National Park, India
Conservation status
	; Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
	CITES Appendix II
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Genus:	Lissemys
Species:	L. punctata
Binomial name
	Lissemys punctata; (Lacépède, 1788)
Subspecies
	L. p. andersoni; L. p. punctata;
Synonyms
	List Testudo punctata; Lacépède, 1788 ; Testudo granulosa; Suckow, 1798 ; Testudo scabra; Latreille, 1801 ; Testudo granosa; Schoepff, 1801 ; Testudo granulata; Daudin, 1801 ; Trionyx coromandelicus; É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809 ; Trionyx granosus; — Schweigger, 1812 ; Trionyx (Emyda) punctatus; — Gray, 1831 ; Emyda punctata; — Gray, 1831 ; Trionyx punctata; — Gray, 1832 ; Cryptopus granosus; — A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1835 ; Emyda vittata; W. Peters, 1854 ; Emyda ceylonensis; Gray, 1856 ; Emyda granosa; — Strauch, 1862 ; Emyda dura; Anderson, 1876 (nomen nudum) ; Emyda [granosa] granosa; — Siebenrock, 1909 ; Emyda granosa ceylonensis; — Annandale, 1912 ; Emyda granosa intermedia; Annandale, 1912 ; Lissemys punctata punctata; — M.A. Smith, 1931 ; Lissemys punctata granosa; — M.A. Smith, 1931 ; Trionyx punctatus granosus; — Mertens, L. Müller & Rust, 1934 ; Trionyx punctatus punctatus; — Mertens, L. Müller & Rust, 1934 ; Lissemys punctata garnosa; Rhodes & Dadd, 1968 (ex errore) ; Lissemys punctata andersoni; Webb, 1980 ; Lissemys punctata andersonii; Artner, 2003 (ex errore) ; Lissemys andersoni; — Joseph-Ouni, 2004 ;

The Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata) is a freshwater species of turtle found in South Asia. The "flap-shelled" name stems from the presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron. These flaps of skin cover the limbs when they retract into the shell. What protection the flaps offer against predators is unclear. Indian flapshell turtles are widespread and common in the South Asian provinces. It is morphologically an evolutionary link between the softshell and hardshell aquatic turtles. Exploitation for profit and habitat change are threats to their survival.