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Makara nivas
The zoo has decided to name the proposed crocodile enclosure as Makara nivas . ' Makara ' is the Sanskrit term for the crocodile.

Marsh crocodile

Scientific name : Crocodylus palustris

These are difficult to distinguish from Estuarine Crocodiles in the field but normally they do not occur together.The snout is broad and without distinct ridges in front of the eyes. A row of four distinctly raised scales just behind the head called post occipitals is the distinguishing factor. Ventrally the skin lacks armour. The toes are webbed and tail has two series of flattened, vertical scales merging and continued as a single row to the tip. They are olive in color above with white or yellowish white below.

Range : Throughout the Indian subcontinent from Baluchistan in the west to Assam in the east and from Nepal in the north to Tamilnadu in the south Srilanka and Iran also have this species.
Habitat : All river systems and their connected streams, lakes, sizable pounds and jheels.
Food : Hunts more or less, exclusively in water. The diet is largely fish but any animal that can be overcome is taken. If they hunt in groups the entire kill is eaten and if there is no competition for food , the kill is left for decomposition as it becomes easy tear apart.
Koorma nivas
The tortoise and terrapin enclosure in the zoo has been named the 'Koorma nivas' after the Koorma avatar of Lord Vishnu .

Starred tortoise

Scientific name : Gochelone elegans .

Their shells are markedly convex, with back and front margins slightly turned up. The domed carpace has conspicuous lumps with each hump having a yellow areola and radiating yellow streaks. The forelimbs are flattened and the hind limbs are cylindrical and club-shaped with large scales on limbs. The tail ends in a spur like scale.The young have the head and limbs ivory colored with the black and yellow patterns on the shell bright and contrasting. The pattern may become indistinct with age. The female lays clutches of 3-7 eggs which are matty surfaced, white ellipsoidal and hard shelled and buries them for incubation.

Range : Very common in Chittoor district, Ramanthapuram district of Andhra Pradesh Tamilnadu and Kolar district of Karnataka.

Habitat : Sandy tracts and scrublands of semiarid areas. It is largely crepuscular spending the rest of the time under cover and most active in the monsoon season.

Food : Omnivorous but mostly vegetarian. They feed on succulents, fallen fruits, grass, all types of soft vegetables., Snails,animals and bird excreta.

 

The starred Tortoise

The Indian pond Terrapin

Indian pond terrapin

Scientific name : Melanochelys trijuga

Terrapins are distinguished from land tortoises by the flattened limbs and almost fully webbed digits. The shell is not very convex, with three keels, one median and two lateral. The shell margin is curved inwards laterally and behind and flares out above the hind limbs. It has short snout and tail. The skin on the back of the head is smooth and the limbs have large scales.The shell is light brown in young ones, darker brown or blackish in adults.

Range :The most widespread of Indian terrapins found all over India.

Habitat : Slow flowing or sedentary water. Young are more aquatic than the adults which are semi-terrestrial. These are often found basking on rocks and logs. Several may live together in convenient hideouts like rocks or a hole in the bank. Each limb works independently while they swim female lays a clutch of 3-8 hard shelled, white elliptical eggs and buries them in the land for incubation.

Food : They forage for food at night which is largely vegetarian and they are also known to feed on animal droppings.