Amur softshell turtle

{{Short description|Species of turtle}}

{{distinguish|text=the Chinese softshell turtle or the lesser Chinese softshell turtle}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Pelodiscus maackii 5596895 (cropped).jpg

| status = CITES_A2

| status_system = CITES

| status_ref = {{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}

| genus = Pelodiscus

| species = maackii

| authority = (Brandt, 1857)

| synonyms = *Trionyx maackii
{{small|Brandt, 1857}}

| synonyms_ref =  {{Cite journal |journal=Vertebrate Zoology |title=Checklist of Chelonians of the World |year=2007 |author=Fritz, Uwe |author-link=Uwe Fritz |author2=Havaš, Peter |author2-link=Peter Havaš |volume=57 |issue=2 |pages=318–319 |doi=10.3897/vz.57.e30895 |doi-access=free |issn=1864-5755}}

}}

The Amur softshell turtle (Pelodiscus maackii), also commonly known as the northern Chinese softshell turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is native to Asia.

Geographic range

Pelodiscus maackii is found in the Russian Far East, northeastern China, Korea, and Japan.{{cite journal |author1=Rhodin, A.G.J. |author1-link=Anders Gunnar Johannes Rhodin |author2=Iverson, J.B. |author2-link=John B. Iverson |author3=Bour, R. |author3-link=Roger Bour |author4=Fritz, U. |author5=Georges, A. |author5-link=Arthur Georges |author6=Shaffer, H.B. |author6-link=H. Bradley Shaffer |author7=van Dijk, P.P. |author7-link=Peter Paul van Dijk |author8=(Turtle Taxonomy Working Group) |year=2017 |title=Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status |editor1=Rhodin, A.G.J. |editor2=Iverson, J.B. |editor3=van Dijk, P.P. |editor4=Saumure, R.A. |editor4-link=species:Raymond A. Saumure |editor5=Buhlmann, K.A. |editor5-link=species:Kurt A. Buhlmann |editor6=Pritchard, P.C.H. |editor6-link=Peter Pritchard |editor7=Mittermeier, R.A. |editor7-link=Russell |series=Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group |edition=8 |journal=Chelonian Research Monographs |volume=7 |pages=1–292 |doi=10.3854/crm.7.checklist.atlas.v8.2017|isbn=9781532350269 |s2cid=89826255 |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/64c5/1a25fb4afce9a68f6fadc4e63c80929938d2.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213162405/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/64c5/1a25fb4afce9a68f6fadc4e63c80929938d2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-02-13 }} It is possible that the Japanese populations are the result of ancient introductions by humans.

Description

An aquatic species, Pelodiscus maackii may attain a straight carapace length of {{convert|32.5|cm|ft|abbr=on|1}}.{{cite web |title=Chinese Soft-shell Turtle |url=http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/turtles/chinese-soft-shell_turtle.htm |publisher=Ecology Asia |access-date=28 September 2017}}

Breeding

In China specifically, the breeding of the closely-related Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) has been done for over 2,400 years, and the production has come to 340,000 annually due to the demand.{{Cite journal |last1=Gong |first1=Shiping |author1-link=species:Shi-Ping Gong |last2=Vamberger |first2=Melita |author2-link=species:Melita Vamberger |last3=Auer |first3=Markus |author3-link=species:Markus Auer |last4=Praschag |first4=Peter |author4-link=species:Peter Praschag |last5=Fritz |first5=Uwe |date=2018-05-04 |title=Millennium-old farm breeding of Chinese softshell turtles (Pelodiscus spp.) results in massive erosion of biodiversity |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-018-1558-9 |journal=The Science of Nature |language=en |volume=105 |issue=5 |pages=34 |doi=10.1007/s00114-018-1558-9 |pmid=29728774 |bibcode=2018SciNa.105...34G |s2cid=13681962 |issn=1432-1904|url-access=subscription }}

Etymology

The specific name, maackii, is in honor of Russian naturalist Richard Maack.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}}. (Pelodiscus maackii, p. 164).

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • Brandt JF (1857). "Observationes quaedam ad generis Trionychum species duas novas spectantes ". Bulletin de la Classe Physico-Mathématique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint-Pétersbourg 16: 110–111. (Trionyx maackii, new species). (in Latin).
  • Stejneger L (1907). Herpetology of Japan and Adjacent Territory. Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum Bulletin 58. Washington, District of Columbia: Government Printing Office. xx + 577 pp. (Amyda maackii, p. 529).

{{Trionychidae}}

{{Taxonbar |from=Q3007906}}

Category:Pelodiscus

Category:Turtles of Asia

Category:Reptiles of China

Category:Reptiles of Korea

Category:Reptiles of Russia

Category:Fauna of the Russian Far East

Category:Reptiles described in 1857

Category:Taxa named by Johann Friedrich von Brandt

{{Turtle-stub}}