Chinese softshell turtle

Not to be confused with northern Chinese softshell turtle or lesser Chinese softshell turtle.

Chinese softshell turtle
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[3]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Trionychidae
Genus: Pelodiscus
Species:
P. sinensis
Binomial name
Pelodiscus sinensis
(Wiegmann, 1835)[1]
Synonyms

See text

The Chinese softshell turtle[1] (Pelodiscus sinensis) is a species of softshell turtle that is native to mainland China (Inner Mongolia to Guangxi, including Hong Kong) and Taiwan, with records of escapees—some of which have established introduced populations—in a wide range of other Asian countries, as well as Spain, Brazil and Hawaii.[4]

Populations native to Northeast China, Russia, Korea and Japan were formerly included in this species, but are now regarded as separate as the northern Chinese softshell turtle (P. maackii). Furthermore, localized populations in Guangxi and Hunan (where the Chinese softshell turtle also is present), as well as Vietnam, are recognized as the lesser Chinese softshell turtle (P. parviformis) and Hunan softshell turtle (P. axenaria).[5]

The Chinese softshell turtle is a vulnerable species,[5] threatened by disease, habitat loss, and collection for food such as turtle soup. Additionally, millions are now farmed, especially in China, to support the food industry,[6] and it is the world's most economically important turtle.[7]

  1. ^ a b c Rhodin, Anders G.J.; Paul van Dijk, Peter; Iverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the World 2010 Update: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution and Conservation Status" (PDF). p. 000.128. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  2. ^ Asian Turtle Trade Working Group (2016) [errata version of 2000 assessment]. "Pelodiscus sinensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2000: e.T39620A97401140. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T39620A10251914.en. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. ^ Rhodin, Anders G.J. (2021-11-15). Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. Chelonian Research Monographs. Vol. 8 (9th ed.). Chelonian Research Foundation and Turtle Conservancy. doi:10.3854/crm.8.checklist.atlas.v9.2021. ISBN 978-0-9910368-3-7. S2CID 244279960.
  5. ^ a b Rhodin, A.G.J.; Iverson, J.B.; Bour, R.; Fritz, U.; Georges, A.; Shaffer, H.B.; van Dijk, P.P.; et al. (Turtle Taxonomy Working Group) (2017). "Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status". In Rhodin, A.G.J.; Iverson, J.B.; van Dijk, P.P.; et al. (eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs. Vol. 7 (8th ed.). pp. 1–292. doi:10.3854/crm.7.checklist.atlas.v8.2017. ISBN 9781532350269. S2CID 89826255.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference scale was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Fritz U, Gong S, Auer M, Kuchling G, Schneeweiß N, Hundsdörfer AK (2010). "The world's economically most important chelonians represent a diverse species complex (Testudines: Trionychidae: Pelodiscus)". Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 10 (3): 227–242. doi:10.1007/s13127-010-0007-1. S2CID 46472936.