The people of Nepal are extremely excited about the appearance of a mutant turtle with hypopigmentation syndrome, causing its whole body to turn an eye-catching yellow color. They consider it the incarnation of the supreme god Vishnu.
The turtle belonging to the species Lissemysunctata andersoni was discovered by Kamal Devkota – a reptile expert in Dhanushadham city (Dhanusha, Nepal) a few days ago.
The turtle has a yellow body and shell, making it unique – (Photo: PEN NEWS/DEV NARAYAN MANDAL).
This is believed to be the fifth time golden turtles of the species Lissemysunctata andersoni have been discovered worldwide and the first time seen in Nepal.
This information was published by the media and attracted great attention from the people of this country.
The golden turtle is extremely important in Nepalese religious culture as it is considered the embodiment of the supreme god Vishnu.
In general Hindu mythology, the god Vishnu takes the form of a turtle to save the universe from destruction, the turtle’s upper shell represents the sky and the lower shell represents the earth.
The image of a golden turtle, called Kurma, is today worshiped in a number of temples in India and Nepal and is highly revered by people – (Photo: PEN NEWS/DEV NARAYAN MANDAL)
From a scientific perspective, this turtle’s unique color is due to an extremely rare genetic mutation that changes its pigmentation.
Hypopigmentation syndrome often results in white, pale or patchy skin, but in this case cells with more yellow pigment xanthophores become more dominant.
Hypopigmentation syndrome also occurs evenly throughout the turtle’s body and back shell, making it even more special.
This golden turtle has now been released into the wild, although it will face survival dangers due to its striking color.
“Under normal conditions, the colors indigo and green help turtles easily hide in the wild. But for this turtle, the yellow color stands out too much with the surrounding environment. Not to mention that it will be attacked by humans. people who hunt for religious beliefs,” said Kamal Devkota.
