: Forest officials of Neryamangalam range arrested one person and seized seven rare species of turtle and a country gun from his house at Fifth Mile tribal settlement, near Adimaly, on Thursday.
The seized turtles are Cane turtle ( Vijayachelys silvatica) that inhabit the dense forest of Western Ghats nearly 1,500 ft above sea level.
The species was first identified by scientists in 1912. In 1982, scientists found some specimens of the Cane turtle in the Western Ghats.
The accused told the official that he had collected the turtles over the last two years and used their eggs to make medicines. He was arrested by a team led by Range Officer Mohammed Rafi.
