Pelochelys

"Giant softshell turtles" redirects here. For other uses, see Giant softshell turtle.

Pelochelys
Pelochelys cantorii
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Subfamily:	Trionychinae
Genus:	Pelochelys Gray, 1864 [1] [2]
Synonyms [2]
Pelochlys Zhao, 1997 (ex errore)

Pelochelys is a genus of very large softshell turtles in the family Trionychidae. They are found from peninsular India northeast to southern China, and south to Southeast Asia and New Guinea.These turtles are also known as Giant softshell turtles.

The species in this genus, while still being freshwater turtles as with all Trionychidae, are unique for having significant salt tolerance and regularly entering near-coastal marine habitats. ^[3]

Taxonomy

These three species are recognized as being valid: ^[4]

• Pelochelys bibroni (Owen, 1853) – southern New Guinea giant softshell turtle ^[1]
• Pelochelys cantorii Gray, 1864 – Cantor's giant softshell turtle ^[1]
• Pelochelys signifera Webb, 2002 – northern New Guinea giant softshell turtle ^[1]

Nota bene : In the above list, a binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Pelochelys.

Cladogram as drawn by Walter G. Joyce, Ariel Revan, Tyler R. Lyson, and Igor G. Danilov (2009) ^[5]

Trionychidae	Cyclanorbinae Cyclanorbis Cycloderma Lissemys †Plastomeninae Hutchemys Plastomenus Trionychinae Trionyx Chitra Pelochelys Apalone Rafetus Amyda Aspideretes Nilssonia Dogania Palea Pelodiscus

References

1. Rhodin et al. 2011, pp. 000.207
2. Fritz & Havaš 2007, p. 317
3. Group, Asian Turtle Trade Working (2000-06-30). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Pelochelys cantorii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2021-05-07.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
4. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
5. Joyce, Walter G.; Revan, Ariel; Lyson, Tyler R.; Danilov, Igor G. (2009). "Two New Plastomenine Softshell Turtles from the Paleocene of Montana and Wyoming" (PDF). Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 50 (2): 307–325. doi:10.3374/014.050.0202. S2CID   85505337.

Works cited

• Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Iverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley; Bour, Roger (2011-12-31). "Turtles of the world, 2011 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status" (PDF). Chelonian Research Monographs. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-01-31.
• Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007-10-31). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-05-01. Retrieved 2010-12-29.

Further reading

• Boulenger GA. 1889. Catalogue of the Chelonians, Rhynchocephalians, and Crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). New Edition. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). x + 311 pp. + Plates I-VI. (Genus Pelochelys, p. 262, figure 69).
• Gray JE. 1864. Revision of the Species of Trionychidæ found in Asia and Africa, with Descriptions of some New Species. Proc. Zool. Soc. London1864: 76–98. (Pelochelys, new genus, p. 89).