Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle
Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle | |
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Conservation status
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Endangered (IUCN 2.3) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Testudines |
Suborder: | Cryptodira |
Family: | Trionychidae |
Genus: | Chitra |
Species: | C. indica
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Binomial name | |
Chitra indica (Gray, 1831)
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Synonyms[2] | |
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Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra indica) also known as small-headed softshell turtle[3] is an endangered species of softshell turtle found in rivers of the Indian subcontinent. It is very large and feeds on fish, frogs, crustaceans and molluscs, which it ambushes.[4] In the past it was included in Chitra chitra; a species restricted to Southeast Asia using current taxonomy.[2]
Diagnostic characters[]
This species is very large with a carapace up to 1.1 m (3.6 ft).[4]
- Overall color: olive to deep olive-green;
- Very complex midline (vertebral) carapacial pattern;
- Midline (vertebral) carapacial stripe present;
- Complex radiating costal stripes;
- Paramedian neck stripes forming a bell-like pattern on anterior carapace absent;
- Neck stripes do not form a continuous light rim around carapace;
- No distinct pair of neck stripes;
- Dark speckling on "light" (head and neck) stripes;
- Anterior neck "V" divergence point on neck;
- 3-4 forelimb lamellae;
- No peri-orbital X pattern;
- No distinct peri-orbital ocelli;
- No distinct naso-orbital triangular "figure";
- Few, if any, black dots present on chin pattern.
Type locality: "India, fl. Ganges, Penang"; restricted by Smith (1931:162) to "Fatehgarh, Ganges," India = "India: Ganges; Futtaghur" (Gray 1864: 92)
Distribution[]
This species is found in the Sutlaj and Indus river basins of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and Ganges, Godavari, Mahanadi and other rivers basins of India, Nepal and Bangladesh.[4] Although widespread, it occurs in low densities, even within protected areas.[4] It is threatened by hunting and habitat loss.[4] It prefers clear, large or medium rivers with sandy bottoms.[4] It spends most of time concealed below the sand, sometimes with only the tip of the nose exposed.[4]
Eating habits[]
Buried in sand, the Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle waits for its prey to come into its reach. When this happens, the turtle's head extends out of its shell at a high velocity in order to grab then eat the prey organism with its mouth.[5][6] In a 2009 video from Animal Planet's show River Monsters, this turtle is seen quickly extending its head and long retractable neck out of its shell.[7]
References[]
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ a b Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World" (PDF). Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 312. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ Reptiles of Dudhwa tiger reserve... dudhwatigerreserve.com
- ^ a b c d e f g Das, I.; and Singh, S. (2009). Chitra indica. Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises, Chelonian Research Monographs 5
- ^ "Chitra indica (Narrow-headed soft-shelled Turtle)".
- ^ "Narrow-headed Softshell Turtle". Saint Louis Zoo.
- ^ Animal Planet (24 April 2009). "River Monsters: Turtle Strikes Like a Snake". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
- Asian Turtle Trade Working Group (2000). "Chitra indica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2000: e.T4696A97399400. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T4696A11088615.en.{{cite iucn}}: error: |doi= / |page= mismatch (help) Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is endangered and the criteria used
- Boulenger, G.A. 1889 Catalogue of the Chelonians, Rhynchocephalians, and Crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). British Museum, London, 311 pp.
- Engstrom, Tag N., H. Bradley Shaffer, and William P. McCord. 2002 Phylogenetic Diversity of Endangered and Critically Endangered Southeast Asian Softshell Turtles (TrionychidaChitra). Biological Conservation 104 (2):173-179
- Gray, J. E. 1831 A synopsis of the species of Class Reptilia. In: Griffith, E & E. Pidgeon: The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organisation by the Baron Cuvier with additional descriptions of all the species hither named, and of many before noticed [Vol. 9]. Whittaker, Treacher and Co., London: 481 + 110 pp.
- Gray, J. E. 1831 Synopsis Reptilium or short descriptions of the species of reptiles. Part I: Cataphracta, tortoises, crocodiles, and enaliosaurians. Treuttel, Wurz & Co., London, 85 pp.
- Gray, J.E. 1844 Catalogue of Tortoises, Crocodilians, and Amphisbaenians in the Collection of the British Museum. British Museum (Natural History), London. viii + 80 p.
- Gray, J. E. 1864 Revision of the species of Trionychidae found in Asia and Africa, with descriptions of some new species. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1864: 76-98
- Webb, R.G. 1980 Gray, Hardwicke, Buchanan-Hamilton, and drawings of Indian softshell turtles (Family Trionychidae). Amphibia-Reptilia 1: 61–74.
External links[]
- IUCN Red List endangered species
- Chitra (genus)
- Reptiles of Pakistan
- Reptiles of India
- Reptiles described in 1831
- Taxa named by John Edward Gray