Bibron's giant softshell turtle
| Bibron's giant softshell turtle | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Pelochelys bibroni | ||||||||||||
| ( Owen , 1853) |
Bibron's giant softshell turtle ( Pelochelys bibroni ) ( Asian Giant Softshell Turtle and Striped New Guinea Softshell Turtle ) from the genus of the giant softshell turtles ( Pelochelys ) is a freshwater species of turtles (Testudinata) . The species name was given in honor of the French zoologist Gabriel Bibron .
description
Bibron's giant softshell turtle reaches a shell length of 102 cm. Individual specimens even reach an even greater length. It has very small eyes in relation to the large head. On their round cups are scattered olive-colored warts and their breasts are white. It has fin-like back and front legs with a web-like membrane between the toes and fingers. The sides of the front legs and the web-like membranes are white. It has a wide, big mouth. The horn-like protrusions on their jaws work like teeth. The horn-like armor on the back and the belly is connected by a band.
distribution
The turtle lives mainly in rivers and streams that slowly flow inland. However, there is also some evidence that it lives in the coastal regions as well. In the past, their distribution area extended over New Guinea , Sumatra , Borneo and the western regions of Java . Today, however, its former range has shrunk significantly and it is therefore considered endangered, except in New Guinea. Until recently, the last sighting outside of New Guinea was in Cambodia in 2003 . During an inspection in an area along the Mekong River in 2007, scientists discovered large numbers of these turtles. Numerous specimens have been described on a short stretch of 48 km along the banks of the river.
behavior
The animals live in clear and deep rivers near the coast. The species is a specialist in that it feeds mainly on carnivorous food: small fish , shrimp , crustaceans , molluscs and clams . But it also very rarely eats aquatic plants . Due to the slow metabolism , the animals can survive without eating for several months or even longer. They are very sensitive to the ambient temperature . If the temperature is higher or lower than normal, they will hide in the sand. To hibernate, they bury themselves in a cave in the sand that they prepared in autumn. They spend 95% of their time underwater buried in the sand. Only the eyes and the mouth look out of the sand. You only need to come up to breathe twice a day. The only enemy of the adult animals is the New Guinea crocodile .
Reproduction
The females are mated from May to August . From February to March they lay the approximately 20 to 28 fertilized eggs in a hole dug in the sand on the bank. The round eggs are 3 to 3.5 cm in diameter. After the laying, the scrim is covered with sand. After two months of incubation in the sun, the chicks hatch and crawl into the water on their own. All specimens in the same stretch of river lay their eggs in the same place.