- Northern river terrapin
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Northern river terrapin 
Three northern river terrapins (Batagur baska) from a gazetted conservation site at Kuala Berang, Terengganu, Malaysia. Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Suborder: Cryptodira Family: Geoemydidae Genus: Batagur Species: B. baska Binomial name Batagur baska
(Gray, 1831)The northern river terrapin (Batagur baska), also called giant river turtle or mangrove terrapin is a species of riverine turtle. It is one of the most critically endangered turtle species according to a 2003 assessment by the IUCN. Its eggs were a delicacy of the royal cuisine of Cambodia; In 2005, it was designated the national reptile of the Cambodia in an effort to bring awareness and conservation for this species.[1]
Contents
Description
River terrapins of different age cohorts: (from top to bottom) hatchling of about a week old, one year old and two years old.
Carapace moderately depressed, with a vertebral keel in the young, which keel disappears in the adult; nuchal broader than long; first vertebral as broad in front as behind, or a little broader; vertebrals 2 to 4 subequal, much broader than long in the young, nearly as long as broad and as broad as the costals in the adult, the postero-lateral border of the third vertebral strongly concave. Plastron large, strongly angulate laterally in the young, convex in the adult, truncate anteriorly, angularly notched posteriorly; the width of the bridge exceeds the length of the posterior lobe; the longest median suture is that between the abdominals, the shortest that between the gulars, the latter never more than half that between the humerals; inguinal large, axillary smaller. Head rather small; snout pointed, produced, directed upwards; jaws with denticulated edge, upper feebly notched mesially; the width of the lower jaw at the symphysis nearly equals the diameter of the orbit. Limbs with transversely enlarged, band-like scales. Maximum carapace length is 60 cm. Upper surface of shell and soft parts olive-brown, lower surface yellowish. [2]
Distribution
The Batagur is found only in parts of India such as Bengal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia (Kedah, Perak and Terengganu), Sumatra, Indonesia and Cambodia (Cardamom Mountains), and populations have been sharply declining in recent years.
Decline
Many Asian turtles are in danger because of the thriving trade in animals in the region, where a species' rarity can add to its value on a menu or as a traditional medicine.
The species was thought to have disappeared in Cambodia until it was rediscovered in 2001. Conservationists eventually began tagging the animals with tracking devices and monitoring their nests, and King Norodom Sihamoni personally ordered their protection.
In Malaysia, rivers of Kedah, Perak and Terengganu are major nesting grounds though the population continues to crash despite conservation efforts undertaken by Malaysian Wildlife Department for over 20 years. Pasir Temir and Pasir Lubuk Kawah by the Terengganu River are the largest nesting sites for Batagur baska in the world.
See also
- Southern river terrapin
Cited references
- ^ ROYAL DECREE on Designation of Animals and Plants as National Symbols of the Kingdom of Cambodia
- ^ Boulenger, G.A.(1890) Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia.
Other references
- Asian Turtle Trade Working Group (2006). Batagur baska. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 10 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is critically endangered
- Das, Indraneil (1989) "Batagur baska in Orissa" Hamadryad: The Journal of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust 14(1): 2-3
- Gray,J.E. (1857) "Notice of some Indian tortoises (including the description of a new species presented to the British Museum by Professor Oldham)" Annals and Magazine of Natural History 19(2): 342-344
- Platt, S.G.; Bryan L. Stuart; Heng Sovannara; Long Kheng, Kalyar and Heng Kimchhay (2003) "Rediscovery of the critically endangered river terrapin, Batagur baska, in Cambodia, with notes on occurrence, reproduction, and conservation status" Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4(3): 691
External links
Geoemydidae family of turtles Genus Species of the Geoemydidae family
Batagur Burmese roofed turtle · Northern river terrapin · Painted terrapin · Red-crowned roofed turtle · Southern river terrapin · Three-striped roofed turtleCuora Amboina box turtle · Bourret's box turtle · Ryukyu yellow-margined box turtle · Indochinese box turtle · McCord's box turtle · Keeled box turtle · Pan's box turtle · Southern Vietname box turtle · Chinese three-striped box turtle · Yellow-headed box turtle · Yellow-margined box turtle · Yunnan box turtle · Zhou's box turtleCyclemys Geoclemys Spotted pond turtleGeoemyda Black-breasted leaf turtle · Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtleHardella Crowned river turtleHeosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Malayan snail-eating turtle · Mekong snail-eating turtleMauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Assam roofed turtle · Brown roofed turtle · Indian roofed turtle · Indian tent turtleRhinoclemmys Black river turtle · Brown wood turtle · Colombian wood turtle · Furrowed wood turtle · Large-nosed wood turtle · Maracaibo wood turtle · Mexican spotted wood turtle · Painted wood turtle · Spot-legged turtleSacalia Siebenrockiella Black marsh turtle · Philippine forest turtleVijayachelys Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2010 update: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status.Order Testudines (turtles) Suborder SuperfamilySubfamily
Cryptodira Chelydra · MacrochelysCaretta · Chelonia · Eretmochelys · Lepidochelys · NatatorDermochelysDermatemydidaeDermatemysStaurotypinaeClaudius · StaurotypusBatagur · Cuora · Cyclemys · Geoclemys · Geoemyda · Hardella · Heosemys · Leucocephalon · Malayemys · Mauremys · Melanochelys · Morenia · Notochelys · Orlitia · Pangshura · Rhinoclemmys · Sacalia · Siebenrockiella · VijayachelysAldabrachelys · Astrochelys · Chelonoidis · Chersina · Cylindraspis · Geochelone · Gopherus · Homopus · Indotestudo · Kinixys · Malacochersus · Manouria · Psammobates · Pyxis · Stigmochelys · TestudoTrionychiaCarettochelyidaeCarettochelysTrionychinaePleurodira ChelidinaeChelodininaeHydromedusinaePelomedusa · PelusiosPhylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2010 update: annotated checklist. Extinct turtles not included.
See also List of Testudines families
Portal · 
WikiProjectBatagur Species Burmese roofed turtle · Northern river terrapin · Painted terrapin · Red-crowned roofed turtle · Southern river terrapin · Three-striped roofed turtleNational symbols of Cambodia Flag of Cambodia · Royal Arms of Cambodia · Nokor Reach (anthem) · Angkor Wat · Mitrella mesnyi (flower) ·
Borassus flabellifer (tree) · Lady Finger banana (fruit) · Giant barb (fish) · Giant Ibis (bird) · Northern river terrapin (reptile) · Kouprey (mammal)Categories:- IUCN Red List critically endangered species
- Batagur
- Reptiles of Asia
- Fauna of Southeast Asia
- Reptiles of Indonesia
- Reptiles of Thailand
- Reptiles of India
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