Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle

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.

Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle
Fossil carapace
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
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)

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).

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]

  • Chitra chitra chitra Nutaphand, 1986 – Malaysia, Thailand
  • Chitra chitra javanensis McCord & Pritchard, 2003 – Java, Sumatra

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]

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. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-01. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  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. 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
  • Nutaphand, Wirot (1986). "[Manlai, the world's largest soft-shelled turtle]" [Thai Zoological Magazine] 1 (4): [64-70]. (Chira chitra, new species). (in Thai).


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