Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle

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Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle
Chitra selenkae.jpg
Fossil carapace
CITES Appendix I (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Trionychidae
Genus: Chitra
Species:
C. chitra
Binomial name
Chitra chitra
Nutaphand, 1986
Synonyms [3]
Chitra chitra chitra
  • Chitra chitra
    Nutaphand, 1986
  • Chitra chitra chitra
    McCord & Pritchard, 2003
Chitra chitra javanensis
  •  ? Chitra selenkae
    Jaekel, 1911
  • Chitra chitra javanensis
    McCord & Pritchard, 2003
  • Chitra chitra javanica
    Iskandar & Mumpuni, 2003
    (ex errore)
  • Chitra chitra javaensis
    Artner, 2003
    (ex errore)

The Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra chitra) is a large species of softshell turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.

Contents

Common names

Chitra chitra is also known commonly as Nutaphand's narrowhead softshell. It is a name given in honor of Wirot Nutaphand, a Thai herpetologist who did taxonomy. [4]

Description

C. chitra can reach a straight carapace length of 4.9 ft (1.5 m).[ citation needed ]

Geographic range

C. chitra is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. [5]

Habitat

C. chitra inhabits freshwater rivers and their tributaries. [5]

Reproduction

C. chitra is oviparous. [5] Nutaphand (1986) reported that a large female laid over 100 eggs.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. [5]

In captivity

The largest C. chitra in the world was a female named Sumo. She was a pet in the possession of Kittipong Jaruthanin, a Thai fish explorer and collector. She died in September 2023, aged more than 40 years. [6]

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References

  1. Cota, M.; Guntoro, J.; As-singkily, M.; Hamidy, A.; Kusrini, M.D. (2019). "Chitra chitra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T4695A152049778. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T4695A152049778.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World" (PDF). Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 311–312. doi: 10.3897/vz.57.e30895 . ISSN   1864-5755.
  4. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Nutaphand's Narrowhead Softshell Chitra chitra ", p. 192).
  5. 1 2 3 4 Species Chitra chitra at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
  6. Jaruthanin, Kittipong (2023-09-28). "เตรียมพบกับข้อมูลของ'ซูโม่'ในแง่มุมต่างๆอย่างครบถ้วน". Facebook (in Thai). Retrieved 2023-09-29.

Further reading