Leith's softshell turtle - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Aspideretes leithii) Species of reptile

Leith's softshell turtle

Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix I (CITES)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Genus:	Nilssonia
Species:	N. leithii
Binomial name
*Nilssonia leithii* (Gray, 1872)
Synonyms
Trionyx javanicus — Gray, 1831 (part) Testudo gotaghol Buchanan-Hamilton, 1831 (nomen nudum) Aspilus gataghol — Gray, 1872 Trionyx leithii Gray, 1872 Isola leithii — Gray, 1873 Aspideretes leithii — O.P. Hay, 1904 Trionyx sulcifrons Annandale, 1915 Trionyx leithi M.A. Smith, 1931 (ex errore) Amyda leithi — Mertens, L. Müller & Rust, 1934 Aspideretes leithi — Choudhury & Bhupathy, 1993 Trionys leithii — Obst, 1996 Trionix leithi — Richard, 1999

Leith's softshell turtle (Nilssonia leithii) is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is found in peninsular Indian rivers including the Thungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Bhavani, Godavari, Kaveri and Moyar Rivers. The type locality is Pune in India.

Etymology

The specific name, leithii, is in honor of Andrew H. Leith, a physician with the Bombay Sanitary Commission.

Description

Nilssonia leithii is intermediate between Nilssonia gangetica and Nilssonia hurum. It is like the former in the width of the interorbital apace, the comparatively short mandibular symphysis, and the markings of the head. It is like the latter in the longer and more pointed snout, the absence of a strong ridge on the inner alveolar surface of the mandible, and in the presence, in the young, of four or more dorsal ocelli, which are, however, smaller than in N. hurum.

Adults may attain a straight carapace length of 64 cm (25 in).

Diet

Nilssonia leithii preys on mosquito larvae, crabs, freshwater molluscs, and fish. They also sometimes feed on small aquatic vegetation.

Reproduction

The adult female N. leithii lays eggs in June. The eggs are spherical, and the diameter of each egg is 30 to 31 mm (1.2 in).

Threats

This species is locally exploited throughout peninsular India. Other major threats are riverine development projects, aquatic pollution, sand mining, construction of hydroelectric projects, poaching, exploitation of eggs,.

Geographic range

Leith's softshell turtle is endemic to peninsular India in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha

References

^ Praschag, P.; Das, I.; Choudhury, B.C.; Singh, S. (2021). "Nilssonia leithii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T2174A2778380. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T2174A2778380.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
"Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
Fritz 2007, pp. 310–311
^ Das, I., Sirsi, S., Vasudevan, K., and Murthy ,B.H.C.K (2014). Nilssonia leithii (Gray 1872) – Leith’s Softshell Turtle. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Iverson, J.B., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5, pp. 075.1–5, doi:10.3854/crm.5.075.leithii.v1.2014, http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/cbftt/.
Gray,J.E.1872. Notes on the mud-turtles of India (Trionyx, Geoffroy). Annals and Magazines of Natural History (4)10:326–340
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. (Nilssonia leithii, p. 155).
Boulenger GA (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Trionyx leithii, p. 12).
^ Das I (2002). Snakes and other Reptiles of India. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. ISBN 0-88359-056-5. (Aspideretes leithii, p. 138).
Biju Kumar, A. 2004. Records of Leith’s softshell turtle, Aspideretes leithi (Gray, 1872) and Asian giant soft shell turtle, Pelochelys cantorii (Gray, 1864) in Bharathapuzha River, Kerala. Zoos’ Print Journal 19(4):1445
Dharwadkar, Sneha (23 February 2023). "Sneha Dharwadkar (2020) Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises Foundation". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
Jafer Palot, Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre; in Venkataraman, K., Chattopadhyay, A. and Subramanian, K.A. (editors). 2013. Endemic Animals of India(vertebrates): 1–235+26 Plates. (Published by the director, Zoological Survey of india, Kolkata)

External links

Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 149–368. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. S2CID 87809001.

External links

Nilssonia leithii at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database

Trionychidae family

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Superfamily: Trionychia

Genera

Species of the Trionychidae family

Amyda

Apalone

†Axestemys

Chitra

Cyclanorbis

Cycloderma

Dogania

Malayan softshell turtle

†Gilmoremys

†Gilmoremys gettyspherensis
†Gilmoremys lancensis

†Hutchemys

†Khunnuchelys

Lissemys

Nilssonia

†Palaeoamyda

†Palaeoamyda messeliana

Palea

Wattle-necked softshell turtle

Pelochelys

Pelodiscus

Rafetus

Trionyx

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Genus

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers
Nilssonia leithii	Wikidata: Q304147 Wikispecies: Nilssonia leithii CoL: 73ZS3 EoL: 795710 GBIF: 2442517 iNaturalist: 39551 ITIS: 949477 IUCN: 2174 NCBI: 428571 Observation.org: 101667 RD: leithii Species+: 9277
Trionyx leithii	Wikidata: Q44618697 GBIF: 5220406 IRMNG: 10874911

Categories:

Etymology

Description

Diet

Reproduction

Threats

Geographic range

References

Further reading

External links

External links