- Aspideretes gangeticus
Taxobox | name = Ganges Soft-shelled Turtle
status = VU
status_system = iucn2.3
image_width = 240px
image_caption = Skull structure of "Aspideretes gangeticus"
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Chordata
classis =Sauropsid a
ordo =Testudines
subordo =Cryptodira
familia =Trionychidae
genus = "Aspideretes "
species = "A. gangeticus"
binomial = "Aspideretes gangeticus"
binomial_authority = (Cuvier, 1825)
synonyms = "Trionys hurum"
range_
range_map_width = 250px
range_map_caption =The Ganges Soft-shelled Turtle "Aspideretes gangeticus" is a
species of softshellturtle found inSouth Asia in rivers such as theGanges ,Indus andMahanadi .Description
Costal plates eight pairs, the last well developed and in contact throughout on the median line; two neurals between the first pair of costals; plates coarsely pitted and vermieulate. Epiplastra narrowly separated from each other in front of the ontoplastron, which forms an obtuse or a right angle; plastral callosities very large, hyo-hypoplastral, xiphiplastral, and, in old specimens, ento-plastral. Dorsal skin of young with longitudinal ridges of small tubercles. Head moderate; snout (on the skull) about as long as the diameter of the orbit; interorbital region, in the adult, considerably narrower than the nasal fossa; postorbital arch one third to one half the greatest diameter of the orbit; mandible with the inner edge strongly raised, forming a sharp ridge, which sends off a short perpendicular process at the symphysis; the diameter of the mandible at the symphysis does not exceed the diameter of the orbit. Olive above; back of young vermiculated with fine black lines, but without ocelli; head with a black longitudinal streak from between the eyes to the nape, intersected by two or three inverted-V shaped black streaks; lower parts yellowish.Length of dorsal disk 2 feet. [Boulenger, G. A. 1890. Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia.]
Notes
References
* Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is vulnerable and the criteria used
* Anderson,J. 1872 Note on "Trionyx gangeticus", and "Trionyx hurum", B. Hamilton. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) 9: 382-383
* Anderson,J. 1872 On "Trionyx gangeticus", Cuvier, "Trionyx hurum", B.H. and Dr. Gray. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) 10: 219-222
* Cuvier, G.L.C.F.D. 1825 Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles de quadrupèdes, où l'on rétablit les caractères du plusieurs espèces d'animaux que les révolutions du globe paroissent avoir détruites. Dufour & d'Ocagne, Paris. ed. 3, 5 vols. (Parts of this 5 volume edition are cited as appearing from 1821 to 1824; volume 5 appeared in 1825. It consists mostly of articles reprinted from Annales du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. See also Cuvier 1812.)
* Webb, R.G. 2004 Trionychid turtle miscellany. Hamadryad 28 (1&2): 119-121External links
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* [http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Aspideretes_gangeticus.jpgImage]
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