Black softshell turtle

Black softshell turtle
Conservation status
Extinct in the Wild (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Subclass:	Anapsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Trionychia
Family:	Trionychidae
Subfamily:	Trionychinae
Genus:	Aspideretes (disputed)
Species:	A. nigricans
Binomial name
Aspideretes nigricans (Anderson, 1875)
Synonyms
See text

The Black softshell turtle or Bostami Turtle (Aspideretes nigricans, sometimes placed in genus Nilssonia) is a species of freshwater turtle found in India (Assam) and Bangladesh (Chittagong). It was long believed to be inbred individuals of the Ganges Soft-shelled Turtle (A. gangeticus or N. gangeticus) or the Peacock Soft-shelled Turtle (A. hurum or N. hurum), but while it is a close relative of the latter it is a distinct species.^[2]

The Bayazid Bastami shrine with its pond

Originally native to the lower Brahmaputra River, the only population ever reliably known consists of 150-300 turtles in a manmade pond which is part of the Hazrat Sultan Bayazid Bastami (also transliterated "Bostami" or "Bustami") shrine at Chittagong, where they are dependent on humans for survival. To the locals and worshippers, the Black Soft-shelled Turtle is known as mazari ("Mazar inhabitant"); specimens from this shrine were used in the first scientific description.^[3]

The shrine's caretakers – the Mazar Committee – protect the turtle population, but will not allow specimens to be taken anymore, regardless of whether they would be killed or used for reintroduction into the wild. This is due to the animals being considered the descendants of sinners who were miraculously turned into turtles by a saint during the 13th^{[verification needed]} century. Scientific study of the shrine's turtle population can be arranged for,^[2] however, providing the animals are not harmed.

As of 2002, the IUCN classified the species as Extinct in the Wild. However, it was recently found that in Assam at least one wild population still exists, inhabiting the Jia Bhoroli river which is a northern tributary of the Brahmaputra. Also, a population of these turtles was identified in the Kachapukhuri pond on Nilachal Hill, next to the Kamakhya Temple temple at Guwahati in Assam.^[4]

Footnotes

1. ^ IUCN Status report
2. ^ ^{a b} Praschag et al. (2007)
3. ^ Anderson (1875), Praschag et al. (2007)
4. ^ Asmat (2002), Praschag & Gemel (2002), Praschag et al. (2007)

References

• Anderson, J. (1875): Description of some new Asiatic mammals and Chelonia. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 4(16): 282-285.
• Asmat, G.S.M. (2002). Aspideretes nigricans. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
• Praschag, P. & Gemel, R. (2002): Identity of the black softshell turtle Aspideretes nigricans (Anderson 1875) with remarks on related species. Faunistische Abhandlungen 23: 87-116.
• Praschag, P.; Hundsdörfer, A.K.; Reza, A.H.M.A. & Fritz, U. (2007): Genetic evidence for wild-living Aspideretes nigricans and a molecular phylogeny of South Asian softshell turtles (Reptilia: Trionychidae: Aspideretes, Nilssonia). Zool. Scripta 36(4): 301–310. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2007.00282.x (HTML abstract)

External links

• Aspideretes nigricans at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
• Turtles of the world: Aspideretes nigricans
• Photo^{[verification needed]}
• Photo of Mazari
• Photo of Bostami Turtle