Kachuga sylhetensis

Taxobox | name = Assam Roofed Turtle
status = EN
status_system = iucn2.3


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regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Testudines
familia = Geoemydidae
genus = "Kachuga"
species = "K. sylhetensis"
binomial = "Kachuga sylhetensis"
binomial_authority = (Jerdon, 1870)
synonyms =
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Assam Roofed Turtle "Kachuga sylhetensis" is a species of turtle found in Assam and parts of eastern Bangladesh.

Description

Carapace elevated, tectiform, the keel ending in an elevated pointed nodosity on the third vertebral shield, forming a strong ridge on the last two vertebrals; posterior margin very strongly serrated; 26 marginal shields, instead of 24 as m all other species o£ the genus; first vertebral shield much broader in front than behind in the half-grown specimens, equally broad in front and behind in the adult; second vertebral shortest, broader than long, with straight posterior border; third vertebral considerably longer than broad, pointed behind, and forming a very narrow suture with the fourth, which tapers anteriorly and equals in length the first and second together ; fifth vertebral not broader than fourth, pointed posteriorly. Plastron large, feebly angulate laterally, truncate anteriorly, angularly notched posteriorly; the longest median suture is that between the abdominals; suture between the gulars as long as or shorter than that between the humerals; suture between gulars and humerals forming aright angle; inguinal and axillary large. Carapace olive-brown, usually with a lighter streak along the keel; plastral shields dark brown with a broad yellow border. [Boulenger, G. A. 1890. Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia. pp. 42-43] Length of shell 7 inches.

Type locality: Sylhet River, Khasi Hills, India.

Notes

References

* Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is endangered and the criteria used
* Choudhury, Anwaruddin (1993) "New locality records for "Kachuga sylhetensis" (Jerdon, 1870)" "Hamadryad: The Journal of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust" 18: 43-45
* Das, Indraneil (1997) "Kachuga sylhetensis" recorded from northern Bengal, with notes on turtles of Gorumara National Park, Eastern India" "Chelonian Conservation and Biology" 2(4): 616-617
* Jerdon, T. C. (1870) "Notes on Indian Herpetology" "Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal" March 1870: 66-85
* Praschag, Peter and Fachbach, Günther (2001) "Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Assam-Dachschildkröte, "Kachuga sylhetensis" (Jerdon 1870) ("Reptilia": "Testudines": "Bataguridae")" "Salamandra" 37(3): 129-148 ["Contributions to the knowledge of the Assam roofed turtle, "Kachuga sylhetensis" (Jerdon, 1870)"]

External links

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* http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Kachuga_sylhetensis.jpg