Rare Albino Turtle That Looks Like Melted Cheese Sighted

Rare Albino Turtle That Looks Like Melted Cheese Sighted

Forest Service workers were shocked to discover a bright yellow turtle that resembled American cheese. As it turns out, the little reptile is living with a special form of albinism, which also makes it difficult for the turtle to camouflage. 

See the photos, watch a video, and learn more about this astounding creature

A rare yellow turtle was recently found in a pond in a village in West Bengal, India. The creature, which many people on social media are saying looks like melted cheese, is believed to be an albino version of the Indian flapshell turtle, also known as Lissemys punctatais.

Most of us think of turtles as being inherently green or brown, but it turns out that isn’t always the case. Get a load of this cooky-looking critter!

A rare yellow turtle was recently found in a pond in a village in West Bengal, India. The creature, which many people on social media are saying looks like melted cheese, is believed to be an albino version of the Indian flapshell turtle, also known as Lissemys punctatais.

Indian flapshell turtles generally grow to be about 9 to 14 inches long, and their diet consists of frogs, snails and aquatic vegetation. They are a common species in many South Asian countries, such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. But it certainly isn’t common for them to be yellow, like this one. They’re traditionally a greenish-brown like many other species of turtle.

There has only ever been one other sighting of this rare type of pink-eyed, yellow-bodied turtle. Back in July of 2016, a similar albino turtle was discovered.

Experts believe this turtle’s coloring may be due to a lack of pigment called tyrosine, which is common in reptiles. A genetic mutation or congenital disorder may have caused the change in pigmentation.

Indian Forest Service officer Debashish Sharma posted photographs of the strange-looking creature on Twitter. The post has gotten a lot of attention from people who are genuinely shocked by such an odd-colored turtle that looks like melted cheese.

Social media commenters have also compared the turtle to an egg yolk, a Moon Pie, or a hamburger patty with a slice of cheese on top. Either way, it’s certainly an interesting sight to behold.