DOCSLIB.ORG

A Phylogeny of Softshell Turtles (Testudines: Trionychidae) With

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Phylogeny of Softshell Turtles (Testudines: Trionychidae) With Org Divers Evol (2014) 14:279–293 DOI 10.1007/s13127-014-0169-3 ORIGINAL ARTICLE A phylogeny of softshell turtles (Testudines: Trionychidae) with reference to the taxonomic status of the critically endangered, giant softshell turtle, Rafetus swinhoei Minh Le & Ha T. Duong & Long D. Dinh & Truong Q. Nguyen & Peter C. H. Pritchard & Timothy McCormack Received: 18 July 2013 /Accepted: 12 February 2014 /Published online: 6 March 2014 # Gesellschaft für Biologische Systematik 2014 Abstract Several important aspects of the evolution of a well resolved and strongly supported phylogeny. The the softshell turtle (family Trionychidae) have not been results of our time-calibration and biogeographic opti- addressed thoroughly in previous studies, including the mization analyses show that trionychid dispersals out of pattern and timing of diversification of major clades and Asia took place between 45 and 49 million years ago in species boundaries of the critically endangered Shanghai the Eocene. Interestingly, the accelerated rates of diver- Softshell Turtle, Rafetus swinhoei. To address these sification and dispersal within the family correspond issues, we analyzed data from two mitochondrial loci surprisingly well to global warming periods between (cytochrome b and ND4) and one nuclear intron (R35) the mid Paleocene and the early Oligocene and from for all species of trionychid turtles, except Pelochelys the end of the Oligocene to the mid Miocene. Our study signifera, and for all known populations of Rafetus also indicates that there is no significant genetic diver- swinhoei in Vietnam and one from China. Phylogenetic gence among monophyletic populations of Rafetus analyses using three methods (maximum parsimony, swinhoei, and that previous taxonomic revision of this maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference) produce species is unwarranted. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13127-014-0169-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. M. Le (*) T. Q. Nguyen Department of Environmental Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Cologne Biocenter, University of Science, Hanoi University of Science, VNU, 334 Nguyen Trai Cologne, Zülpicher Strasse 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany RoadThanh Xuan District Hanoi, Vietnam e-mail: [email protected] M. Le Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, VNU, 19 P. C. H. Pritchard Le Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi, Vietnam Chelonian Research Institute, 402 South Central Avenue, Oviedo, FL 32765, USA M. Le Department of Herpetology, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA H. T. Duong : L. D. Dinh T. McCormack Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Hanoi University of Asian Turtle Program, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, No. 1302 Thanh Science, VNU, 334 Nguyen Trai RoadThanh Xuan District Hanoi, Cong Building, 57 Lang Ha Street, Hanoi, Vietnam Vietnam Present Address: T. Q. Nguyen L. D. Dinh Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Department of Fundamental Sciences, VNU-School of Medicine and Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Vietnam Pharmacy, 144 Xuan Thuy RoadCau Giay District Hanoi, Vietnam 280 M. Le et al. Keywords Trionychidae . Rafetus swinhoei . Systematics . period of overexploitation, most populations in China and in Evolution . Africa . Asia . Europe . North America . ND4 . Vietnam appear to be extinct (Pritchard 2001;Leand cytb . R35 Pritchard 2009; Wang and Shi 2011). Taxonomically, al- though previous molecular and morphological comparisons show that this is a single species (Le and Pritchard 2009; Introduction Farkas et al. 2011), Le et al. (2010) produced radically differ- ent results, and described populations in Vietnam as a new Softshell turtles of the family Trionychidae are characterized by species, R. vietnamensis.Farkasetal.(2011)sheddoubton highly derived morphological characters, which have evolved theanalysesofLeetal.(2010) by highlighting sources of to adapt to an almost entirely aquatic environment. These potential errors. Despite this, it is likely that populations from special features include smooth leathery skin covering reduced Vietnam and China constitute independent evolutionary line- bony shell, flattened body shape, and webbed toes (Meylan ages given the distance and river systems separating them 1987; Ernst and Barbour 1989). Trionychid turtles, consisting (Fig. 1). To test this hypothesis, we employed a phylogenetic of 31 species and 13 genera (Van Dijk et al. 2012), are distrib- approach, and used the phylogenetic species concept as an uted widely, occurring in Africa, Asia (including New Guinea), operational definition. the Mediterranean, and North America (Iverson 1992). Fossil Moreover, the diversification pattern of this interesting records documented in Australia, Europe, and South America group has not been addressed adequately in previous studies. (Wood and Patterson 1973; Gaffney and Bartholomai 1979; Because the most primitive fossils have been found in Asia, Danilov 2005;Headetal.2006; Scheyer et al. 2012)indicate the continent has been widely regarded as the ancestral area of that, historically, the group was even more widespread. the group (Hirayama et al. 2000; Joyce and Lyson 2010; Since the first computer-aided analysis of trionychid phylo- Scheyer et al. 2012). However, the timing and pattern of genetic relationships using morphological data (Meylan 1987), dispersal events out of Asia to other continents, including many subsequent works have selected molecular data, both the Americas, Europe, and Africa, have not been investigated mitochondrial and nuclear markers, as a means to address comprehensively. In particular, a time-calibrated phylogeny in phylogenetic relationships among different species of the fam- combination with explicit biogeographic optimizations, which ily (Weisrock and Janzen 2000;Engstrometal.2002, 2004; can be used to test different diversification scenarios of the Praschag et al. 2007; McGaugh et al. 2008).Asaresult,afairly family, was lacking in earlier efforts. well resolved and robust molecular phylogeny of trionychids To resolve these issues, we reconstructed a phylogeny for has been established, e.g., Engstrom et al. (2004). In addition, all softshell turtle species, except Pelochelys signifera,using species boundaries within a number of widely distributed spe- two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b and NADH dehydro- cies or species complexes have been clarified (Weisrock and genase subunit 4 - ND4) and a nuclear intron, G protein- Janzen 2000; Engstrom et al. 2002; Praschag et al. 2007; coupled receptor R35 (R35), and multiple outgroups, Caretta McGaugh et al. 2008; Fritz et al. 2010;Praschagetal.2011; caretta, Carettochelys insculpta, and Pelomedusa subrufa. Stuckas and Fritz 2011;Yangetal.2011). Samples from all known populations of Rafetus swinhoei in However, to date the taxonomic status of the critically Vietnam, and from living individuals in China were also endangered Shanghai Softshell Turtle, Rafetus swinhoei,is included in the analyses. We calibrated time divergence of still a matter of debate (Le and Pritchard 2009; Le et al. the phylogeny using the Bayesian relaxed clock method, and 2010;Farkasetal.2011). Ranked as one of 100 most endan- optimized biogeographic patterns using the statistical gered species in the world, only four live individuals of this dispersal-vicariance (S-DIVA) and Bayesian Binary MCMC species are recognized globally: two in Vietnam and two in (BBM) methods to infer the historical diversification of this China (Baillie and Butcher 2012). A captive breeding pro- turtle group. gram has been launched in the Suzhou Zoo, China, for the two individuals residing in China. Nonetheless, these efforts have been unsuccessful in producing offspring, apparently due to Materials and methods the age of the male (Kuchling 2012). To improve the proba- bility of success, the captive breeding program needs to in- Taxonomic sampling clude additional individuals of this species from other popu- lations. It is therefore critical to assess the taxonomic status of For Rafetus swinhoei, we sequenced four new samples, in- populations within its range. cluding fresh tissue from the individual in Hoan Kiem Lake Historically, this species had a large distribution range, located in downtown Hanoi and three bone samples from Ba including the Yellow River, Yangtze River, and their tribu- Vi Town near Hanoi and from Yen Bai and Phu Tho Prov- taries in China and the Red River system, as well as Ma River inces, northern Vietnam. These three bone samples are rela- and associated wetlands in Vietnam (Fig. 1). After a long tively young, ranging from 12 to just over 20 years old. We A phylogeny of softshell turtles (Testudines: Trionychidae) 281 Fig. 1 River systems where Rafetus swinhoei has been recorded. Locations of the type specimen and Vietnam’s samples used in this study are shown in yellow and red,respectively also added published data from the individual inhabiting Dong Bone samples were first cleaned with 10 % chlorox and then Mo Lake in the suburb of Hanoi (Le and Pritchard 2009), from placed on a clean surface to dry in order to eliminate the risk of samples collected in Ba Vi Town, Hoan Kiem Lake, and contamination on the surface of the samples. Bone or tissue Thanh Hoa Province (Le et al. 2010), and from Chinese samples were then extracted following protocols specified in samples (Table 1). Since the sequences
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Review of Southern Iraq Herpetofauna
    Vol. 3 (1): 61-71, 2019 A Review of Southern Iraq Herpetofauna Nadir A. Salman Mazaya University College, Dhi Qar, Iraq *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract: The present review discussed the species diversity of herpetofauna in southern Iraq due to their scientific and national interests. The review includes a historical record for the herpetofaunal studies in Iraq since the earlier investigations of the 1920s and 1950s along with the more recent taxonomic trials in the following years. It appeared that, little is known about Iraqi herpetofauna, and no comprehensive checklist has been done for these species. So far, 96 species of reptiles and amphibians have been recorded from Iraq, but only a relatively small proportion of them occur in the southern marshes. The marshes act as key habitat for globally endangered species and as a potential for as yet unexplored amphibian and reptile diversity. Despite the lack of precise localities, the tree frog Hyla savignyi, the marsh frog Pelophylax ridibunda and the green toad Bufo viridis are found in the marshes. Common reptiles in the marshes include the Caspian terrapin (Clemmys caspia), the soft-shell turtle (Trionyx euphraticus), the Euphrates softshell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus), geckos of the genus Hemidactylus, two species of skinks (Trachylepis aurata and Mabuya vittata) and a variety of snakes of the genus Coluber, the spotted sand boa (Eryx jaculus), tessellated water snake (Natrix tessellata) and Gray's desert racer (Coluber ventromaculatus). More recently, a new record for the keeled gecko, Cyrtopodion scabrum and the saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus sochureki) was reported. The IUCN Red List includes six terrestrial and six aquatic amphibian species.
    [Show full text]
  • Green Sea Turtle in the New England Aquarium Has Been in Captivity Since 1970, and Is Believed to Be Around 80 Years Old (NEAQ 2013)
    Species Status Assessment Class: Reptilia Family: Cheloniidae Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas Common Name: Green turtle Species synopsis: The green turtle is a marine turtle that was originally described by Linnaeus in 1758 as Testudo mydas. In 1868 Marie Firmin Bocourt named a new species of sea turtle Chelonia agassizii. It was later determined that these represented the same species, and the name became Chelonia mydas. In New York, the green turtle can be found from July – November, with individuals occasionally found cold-stunned in the winter months (Berry et al. 1997, Morreale and Standora 1998). Green turtles are sighted most frequently in association with sea grass beds off the eastern side of Long Island. They are observed with some regularity in the Peconic Estuary (Morreale and Standora 1998). Green turtles experienced a drastic decline throughout their range during the 19th and 20th centuries as a result of human exploitation and anthropogenic habitat degradation (NMFS and USFWS 1991). In recent years, some populations, including the Florida nesting population, have been experiencing some signs of increase (NMFS and USFWS 2007). Trends have not been analyzed in New York; a mark-recapture study performed in the state from 1987 – 1992 found that there seemed to be more green turtles at the end of the study period (Berry et al. 1997). However, changes in temperature have lead to an increase in the number of cold stunned green turtles in recent years (NMFS, Riverhead Foundation). Also, this year a record number of nests were observed at nesting beaches in Flordia (Mote Marine Laboratory 2013). 1 I.
    [Show full text]
  • N.C. Turtles Checklist
    Checklist of Turtles Historically Encountered In Coastal North Carolina by John Hairr, Keith Rittmaster and Ben Wunderly North Carolina Maritime Museums Compiled June 1, 2016 Suborder Family Common Name Scientific Name Conservation Status Testudines Cheloniidae loggerhead Caretta caretta Threatened green turtle Chelonia mydas Threatened hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata Endangered Kemp’s ridley Lepidochelys kempii Endangered Dermochelyidae leatherback Dermochelys coriacea Endangered Chelydridae common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina Emydidae eastern painted turtle Chrysemys picta spotted turtle Clemmys guttata eastern chicken turtle Deirochelys reticularia diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin Special concern river cooter Pseudemys concinna redbelly turtle Pseudemys rubriventris eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina yellowbelly slider Trachemys scripta Kinosternidae striped mud turtle Kinosternon baurii eastern mud turtle Kinosternon subrubrum common musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus Trionychidae spiny softshell Apalone spinifera Special concern NOTE: This checklist was compiled and updated from several sources, both in the scientific and popular literature. For scientific names, we have relied on: Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [van Dijk, P.P., Iverson, J.B., Rhodin, A.G.J., Shaffer, H.B., and Bour, R.]. 2014. Turtles of the world, 7th edition: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution with maps, and conservation status. 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 5(7):000.329–479, doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v7.2014; The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
    [Show full text]
  • A Phylogenomic Analysis of Turtles ⇑ Nicholas G
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 83 (2015) 250–257 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev A phylogenomic analysis of turtles ⇑ Nicholas G. Crawford a,b,1, James F. Parham c, ,1, Anna B. Sellas a, Brant C. Faircloth d, Travis C. Glenn e, Theodore J. Papenfuss f, James B. Henderson a, Madison H. Hansen a,g, W. Brian Simison a a Center for Comparative Genomics, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA b Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA c John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center, Department of Geological Sciences, California State University, Fullerton, CA 92834, USA d Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA e Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA f Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA g Mathematical and Computational Biology Department, Harvey Mudd College, 301 Platt Boulevard, Claremont, CA 9171, USA article info abstract Article history: Molecular analyses of turtle relationships have overturned prevailing morphological hypotheses and Received 11 July 2014 prompted the development of a new taxonomy. Here we provide the first genome-scale analysis of turtle Revised 16 October 2014 phylogeny. We sequenced 2381 ultraconserved element (UCE) loci representing a total of 1,718,154 bp of Accepted 28 October 2014 aligned sequence. Our sampling includes 32 turtle taxa representing all 14 recognized turtle families and Available online 4 November 2014 an additional six outgroups. Maximum likelihood, Bayesian, and species tree methods produce a single resolved phylogeny.
    [Show full text]
  • Cop16 Prop38 (PDF, 45
    TRAFFIC Recommendations on the Proposals to Amend the CITES Appendices at the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties Proposal #/ Species covered by the RECOMMENDATION Proposal Proponent proposal # 38 Aspideretes leithii, Chitra Inclusion of Aspideretes leithii, Dogania With the exception of Palea steindachneri, Pelodiscus maackii and Pelodiscus parviformis, these species chitra,C. vandijki, Dogania subplana, Nilssonia formosa, Palea are threatened to varying degrees by poorly regulated international trade, largely to meet demand in China and subplana, Nilssonia steindachneri, Pelodiscus axenaria, China for food and use in traditional medicines. Some species are heavily traded: Dogania subplana is USA formosa, Palea steindachneri, P. maackii, P. parviformis, and Rafetus traded from Indonesia in large volumes, and to a lesser extent, from Malaysia and the Philippines. Pelodiscus axenaria, P. maackii, swinhoei in Appendix II. Transfer ofChitra Exporters in Indonesia are also known to send large volumes of the look-alike species Amyda P. parviformis, andRafetus chitra and C. vandijki from Appendix II to cartilaginea (currently listed in Appendix II) falsely declared as D. subplana. These species are swinhoei. Appendix I exceptionally difficult for enforcement officers to differentiate from one another, and therefore including all Softshell turtles of them in this proposal on lookalike reasons is warranted. Rafetus swinhoei is one of the rarest chelonians alive. It no longer appears to be found in trade and while inclusion in Appendix II would have been beneficial at an earlier stage, listing now would at least allow for trade controls if specimens are once again found in trade. The two Chitra species, C. chitra and C.
    [Show full text]
  • Eastern Spiny Softshell
    Eastern Spiny Softshell The Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle, an introduced species, is unlike any other species of turtle in New Jersey, with its leathery, flattened shell, and its long narrow snout. Eastern Spiny Softshell Introduced Species - Pl.7 (Apalone spinifera spinifera) Identification: Adult females 6 1/2" - 18", males 5" - 9 1/4". The Eastern Spiny Softshell is almost perfectly round with a very flattened, leathery carapace that lacks scutes. Also note the characteristic long, narrow, tubular snout. Three characteristics that distinguish this from other softshells (which are not found in New Jersey) are streaked and spotted feet, a horizontal ridge in each nostril, and small spiny projections on the carapace. The carapace is light tan, like wet sand; a thin dark line encircles the carapace near the rim. The carapace of the male is marked with dark, round spots, while the female may be somewhat darker and more mottled. Where to find them: The Eastern Spiny Softshell is typically limited to rivers; however, it can also be found in lakes where mud bars are available. It is sometimes seen floating at the surface, where the shape is easily identifiable. Be careful if handling this species: it can claw and bite fiercely. When to find them: Active May through September. Range: An introduced and well-established population in the Maurice River system, Cumberland County and in the Raritan River Watershed. Eastern Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera spinifera) - text pg. 16 Key Features - Long, narrow, and tubular snout. - Carapace: flattened, leathery, and lacking scutes. - Light tan or brown in color. New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife ~ 2003 Excerpt from: Schwartz, V.
    [Show full text]
  • AC26 Inf. 5 (English Only / Únicamente En Inglés / Seulement En Anglais)
    AC26 Inf. 5 (English only / únicamente en inglés / seulement en anglais) CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA ____________ Twenty-sixth meeting of the Animals Committee Geneva (Switzerland), 15-20 March 2012 and Dublin (Ireland), 22-24 March 2012 EXTRACT FROM THE PRELIMINARY REPORT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS FROM THE SINGAPORE WORKSHOP ON ASIAN TORTOISES AND FRESHWATER TURTLES The attached information document has been submitted by the United States of America in relation to agenda item 18*. * The geographical designations employed in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the CITES Secretariat or the United Nations Environment Programme concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The responsibility for the contents of the document rests exclusively with its author. AC26 Inf. 5 – p. 1 Extract from the Preliminary Report with Recommendations and Conclusions from the Singapore Workshop on Asian Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles The attached information document has been submitted by the United States in relation to a workshop on “Conservation of Asian Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles: Setting Priorities for the Next Ten Years” held in Singapore, February 21st – 24th, 2011. Recalling the findings and recommendations of the Animal Committee’s Technical Workshop on Conservation of and Trade in Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Kunming, China; March 2002) (see AC18 Inf. 12), and also Doc AC19 Doc 15.1 (Conservation and trade in freshwater turtles and tortoises: Addressing recommendations from the Kunming Workshop) which makes extensive listing discussion and recommendations.
    [Show full text]
  • Apalone Spinifera Atra (Webb and Legler 1960) – Black Spiny Softshell Turtle, Cuatrociénegas Softshell, Tortuga Concha Blanda, Tortuga Negra De Cuatrociénegas
    Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation ProjectTrionychidae of the IUCN/SSC — ApaloneTortoise and spinifera Freshwater atra Turtle Specialist Group 021.1 A.G.J. Rhodin, P.C.H. Pritchard, P.P. van Dijk, R.A. Saumure, K.A. Buhlmann, and J.B. Iverson, Eds. Chelonian Research Monographs (ISSN 1088-7105) No. 5, doi:10.3854/crm.5.021.atra.v1.2008 © 2008 by Chelonian Research Foundation • Published 9 August 2008 Apalone spinifera atra (Webb and Legler 1960) – Black Spiny Softshell Turtle, Cuatrociénegas Softshell, Tortuga Concha Blanda, Tortuga Negra de Cuatrociénegas ADRIÁN CERDÁ -ARDUR A 1, FR A N C IS C O SOBERÓN -MOB A R A K 2, SUZ A NNE E. MCGA U G H 3, A ND RI C H A RD C. VO G T 4 1Romero 93 Col. Niños Heroes, C.P. 03440, Mexico D.F. Mexico [[email protected]]; 2Xavier Sorondo 210 Col. Iztaccihuatl, C.P. 03520, Mexico D.F. Mexico [[email protected]]; 3Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 USA [[email protected]]; 4CPBA/INPA, Caixa Postal 478, Petropolis, Manaus, Amazonas 69011-970 Brazil [[email protected]] SU mma RY . – Apalone spinifera atra (Family Trionychidae), endemic to the Cuatrociénegas Basin of Coahuila, Mexico, is an enigmatic and severely threatened softshell turtle. On the basis of mor- phology, it has been regarded as a full species (Apalone ater), but by phylogenetic molecular analyses it is currently considered a subspecies of A. spinifera. The discovery of color morphs correlated to substrate coloration in different localities and the recognition of hybridization between A.
    [Show full text]
  • Cantor's Giant Softshell Turtle, Pelochelys Cantorii
    M Cantor’s Giant Softshell turtle, Pelochelys cantorii Compiler: Ayushi Jain Suggested citation: Jain, A., Das, A., V. Deepak., Cavada-Blanco, F. 2021. A Survival Blueprint for the Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle Pelochelys cantorii in India. EDGE of Existence programme, Zoological Society of London, UK 1. STATUS REVIEW 1.1 Taxonomy: Class : Reptilia Order : Testudines Family : Trionychidae Genus : Pelochelys Species : Pelocheys cantorii (Gray, 1864) Common Name : Cantor’s Giant softshell turtle/ Asian Giant softshell turtle/ Local name : Bheemanama, Paala poovan (Malayalam) Synonyms: Pelochelys clivepalmeri (Hoser, 2014), P. cumingii (Gray, 1864), P. poljakowii (Strauch, 1890), P. telstraorum (Hoser, 2014), P. cantoris (Boulenger, 1889) Pelochelys cantorii (Gray, 1864) is one of the three species in the genus Pelochelys. The other two species are P. bibroni and P. signifera known only from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia (Papua), respectively. P. cantorii has a large distribution across south and south-east Asia (Das, 2008). It is among the largest freshwater turtles in the world with adults reaching a carapace length of around 100 cm (Das, 2008). Sexual dimorphism is present with males having longer and thicker tales than females; something common for other softshell turtles. Females are also larger in size than males (Das, 2008). According to the last IUCN Red List of threatened species assessment for the species, Pelochelys cantorii might hide a complex of several different species (ATTWG, 2000) A B Figure 1. An adult Pelochelys cantorii on the banks of Chandragiri river caught as by-catch in a fishing line (A), and a close-up head shot showing the keratinized sheath or “teeth” of the species (B).
    [Show full text]
  • Nilssonia Leithii (Gray 1872) – Leith's Softshell Turtle
    Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project ofTrionychidae the IUCN/SSC Tortoise— Nilssonia and Freshwater leithii Turtle Specialist Group 075.1 A.G.J. Rhodin, P.C.H. Pritchard, P.P. van Dijk, R.A. Saumure, K.A. Buhlmann, J.B. Iverson, and R.A. Mittermeier, Eds. Chelonian Research Monographs (ISSN 1088-7105) No. 5, doi:10.3854/crm.5.075.leithii.v1.2014 © 2014 by Chelonian Research Foundation • Published 17 February 2014 Nilssonia leithii (Gray 1872) – Leith’s Softshell Turtle INDRANE I L DAS 1, SHASHWAT SI RS I 2, KARTH ik EYAN VASUDE V AN 3, AND B.H.C.K. MURTHY 4 1Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia [[email protected]]; 2Turtle Survival Alliance-India, D-1/316 Sector F, Janakipuram, Lucknow 226 021, India [[email protected]]; 3Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Pillar 162, PVNR Expressway, Hyderguda, Hyderabad 500 048, India [[email protected]]; 4Zoological Survey of India, J.L. Nehru Road, Kolkata 700 016, India [[email protected]] SU mm ARY . – Leith’s Softshell Turtle, Nilssonia leithii (Family Trionychidae), is a large turtle, known to attain at least 720 mm in carapace length (bony disk plus fibrocartilage flap), and possibly as much as 1000 mm. The species inhabits the rivers and reservoirs of southern peninsular India, replacing the more familiar Indian Softshell Turtle, N. gangetica, of northern India. The turtle is apparently rare within its range, even within protected areas, which is suspected to be due to a past history of exploitation.
    [Show full text]
  • Indian Freshwater Turtles, Which Are Usually Bigger
    Fantastic Facts Indian Part 3 Freshwater Turtles Conservation / Threat Status of Turtles Many turtles, terrapins and tortoises are threatened with extinction, that is, dying out completely. Listed below are the turtles discussed in this article (from Part 1 to 3), with their status, or prospects of survival. Name Status (Global) Assam Roofed Turtle Endangered Cochin Forest Cane Turtle Endangered Crowned River Turtle Vulnerable Rock Terrapin Near Threatened Indian Flapshell Turtle Least Concern Indian Softshell Turtle Vulnerable Indian Narrow-headed Softshell Turtle Endangered Red-crowned Roofed Turtle Critically Endangered Northern River Terrapin Critically Endangered THE CATEGORIES Critically Endangered -- This is the highest category that a species can be assigned before “extinction”. It represents a “last ditch” effort to provide a warning to wildlife agencies and governments to activate management measures to protect the species before it disappears from the face of the earth. When a species is Critically Endangered, usually its chances of living for the next 100 years are very low. Often, its chances of surviving even for 10 years are not good at all ! Endangered -- This is the second highest threat category that a species can be assigned before it becomes further threatened e.g. Critically Endangered or Extinct. When a species is Endangered, its chances of survival as a species for the next 100 years are low. Vulnerable -- The IUCN Red List defines Vulnerable as when a species is not Critically Endangered or Endangered, but is still facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. This is the first threat category for ranking a species when it has some serious problems from human-related threats.
    [Show full text]
  • Identification of Sex Using SBNO1 Gene
    Journal of Genetics (2019) 98:36 © Indian Academy of Sciences https://doi.org/10.1007/s12041-018-1048-z RESEARCH NOTE Identification of sex using SBNO1 gene in the Chinese softshell turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis (Trionychidae) LAN ZHAO, XIN WANG, QIU-HONG WAN and SHENG-GUO FANG∗ The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education and State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People’s Republic of China *For correspondence. E-mail: [email protected]. Received 20 June 2018; revised 17 September 2018; accepted 19 September 2018; published online 11 April 2019 Abstract. The Chinese softshell turtle exhibits ZZ/ZW sex determination. To identify the sex of embryos, juvenile and adult individuals, we designed two pairs of polymerase chain reaction primers, SB1-196, which amplifies a fragment of 196 bp in the female and the other, CK1-482, which amplifies the 482-bp fragment in both the sexes. It is validated in 24 adult turtles of known sex, sampled from three different locations. This one-step sexing technique is rapid and easy to perform and is reported for the first time. Keywords. polymerase chain reaction; sex identification; sex chromosome; molecular sexing; reptile; Chinese softshell turtle. Introduction rapid method for identifying the sex of this species will contribute to development of breeding and conservation The Chinese softshell turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis (family programmes. Trionychidae, suborder Cryptodira), possesses heteromor- In the present study, a pair of primers is designed phic sex chromosomes (ZZ male, ZW female) (Kawai et al.
    [Show full text]