Melanochelys tricarinata(Blyth, 1856) Tricarinate Hill Turtle	Diagnostic characters:
	Carapace elongated, dome shaped, with three distinct obtuse keels; plastron closely arched to the carapace by a suture. Males have a concave plastron. Carapace dark plum, olive or reddish brown in colour with pale-yellow keels, plastron orange or yellowish; head and limbs pale-grey or blackish. Carapace: 220mm.
	Habit and Habitat:
	Inhabits terrestrial terrain, in grass lands along the hill streams and rivers. Crepuscular in habit, most active during early evening hours
	Diet:
	Omnivorous. Also feed on wild fruits, snails and other invertebrates
	Legal Protection:
	WL (P) A, 1972- Schedule I
	Conservation status and Threats:
	Vulnerable. Unknown. Loss of habitat.
	Distribution: Madhya Pradesh: Gwalior (NCS). Elsewhere in India: West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Assam. Elsewhere outside: Bangladesh and Nepal.