Peacock Softshell Turtle
| Peacock Softshell Turtle | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Peacock softshell turtle ( Nilssonia hurum ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Nilssonia hurum | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1831) |
The peacock-eye softshell turtle ( Nilssonia hurum , syn .: Aspideretes hurum ), also called four- eyed water turtle , is a species of turtle of the genus Indian softshell turtles that lives in water . It can be found in northeast India , as well as in southern China and Bangladesh , and lives mainly in the river beds of the Ganges , Brahmaputra and Subarnarekha as well as nearby waters. A specimen has also been sighted in the Indus in Pakistan . However, some herpetologists doubt whether the species was correctly identified in this animal.
Appearance
The peacock softshell turtle reaches a carapace length of up to 60 centimeters. The armor of the back of the adult specimen is olive with a yellow front edge. The plastron, on the other hand, is light gray. On the head it has a black network drawing and large orange or yellow spots. It is characterized in particular by large, peacock-like drawings on its back armor , which it owes its name to. Depending on the specimen, these are one to three pairs of round eyes.
Males allow them to be distinguished from females by their longer and thicker tails. The cloacal opening is also closer to the tip of the tail.
Way of life
Peacock softshell turtles are predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal animals. Young animals also like to bury themselves in the sandy bottom of the water bed. Only the eyes and nostrils are then visible. In addition to freshwater fish, the animal also feeds on small insects.
The mating takes place in the water. The round and hard-shelled eggs are laid by the females during the winter months.
Duration
The species is listed in Appendix I of the CITES agreement, so that commercial trade in these animals is no longer legally possible. It has been protected by the Indian Wildlife Act since 1972 and is also subject to protection regulations in Bangladesh. However, in a study conducted in 1983, this species was still the third most traded species in East India markets.
Individual evidence
- ↑ See for example Indraneil Das: The turtles of the Indian subcontinent. P. 81.
- ↑ Indraneil Das: The turtles of the Indian subcontinent. P. 82.
literature
- Indraneil Das: The turtles of the Indian subcontinent. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main 2001, ISBN 3-930612-35-6 .
Web links
- Nilssonia hurum in The Reptile Database
- Nils Sonia hurum in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: Asian Turtle Trade Working Group, 2000. Retrieved on January 6 of 2009.