CR

Leith's Softshell Turtle

Nilssonia leithii

Declining

Overview

Leith's softshell turtle is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is found in peninsular Indian rivers including the Thungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Bhavani, Godavari, Kaveri and Moyar Rivers. The type locality is Pune in India.

Nilssonia leithii faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive sand mining and quarrying activities that destroy critical nesting beaches along river systems. Egg collection for local consumption and traditional medicine represents another major threat, with entire clutches regularly harvested from remaining nesting sites. Dam construction and water diversion projects have fragmented populations and altered natural flow regimes essential for the species' reproductive cycle.

Threat summary

Habitat

This freshwater turtle inhabits large river systems and associated tributaries across peninsular India, particularly favoring sandy-bottomed rivers with adequate flow for foraging. The species requires specific sandy banks and beaches for nesting, typically selecting sites with appropriate soil composition and temperature conditions along major river corridors.

FRESHWATER· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recoveryEx-situ conservationLegislationCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in TRIONYCHIDAE

EN

Zambezi Flapshell Turtle

Cycloderma frenatum

Declining
VU

Southern New Guinea Giant Softshell Turtle

Pelochelys bibroni

Unknown
Indian Softshell TurtleEN

Indian Softshell Turtle

Nilssonia gangetica

Declining
Yangtze Giant Softshell TurtleCR

Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle

Rafetus swinhoei

Declining

Threatened in India

EN

Khaire's Black Shieldtail

Melanophidium khairei

Unknown
Nilgiri Dancing FrogVU

Nilgiri Dancing Frog

Micrixalus phyllophilus

Declining
Indian Star TortoiseVU

Indian Star Tortoise

Geochelone elegans

Declining
VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Leith's Softshell Turtle classified as Critically Endangered?
Leith's Softshell Turtle is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Nilssonia leithii faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive sand mining and quarrying activities that destroy critical nesting beaches along river systems. Egg collection for local consumption and traditional medicine represents another major threat, with entire clutches regularly harvested from remaining nesting sites. Dam construction and water diversion projects have fragmented populations and altered natural flow regimes essential for the species' reproductive cycle.
Where does Leith's Softshell Turtle live?
Leith's Softshell Turtle occurs in India. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Leith's Softshell Turtle?
The main threats to Leith's Softshell Turtle are 3.2, 5.1, 5.1.1, and 5.4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.