Northern river terrapin

Northern river terrapin

Three northern river terrapins (Batagur baska) from a gazetted conservation site at Kuala Berang, Terengganu, Malaysia.
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Geoemydidae
Genus:	Batagur
Species:	B. baska
Binomial name
*Batagur baska* (Gray, 1831)

The northern river terrapin (Batagur baska), also called giant river turtle or mangrove terrapin is a species of riverine turtle. It is one of the most critically endangered turtle species according to a 2003 assessment by the IUCN. Its eggs were a delicacy of the royal cuisine of Cambodia; In 2005, it was designated the national reptile of the Cambodia in an effort to bring awareness and conservation for this species.^[1]

1 Description
2 Distribution
3 Decline
4 See also
5 Cited references
6 Other references
7 External links

Description

Carapace moderately depressed, with a vertebral keel in the young, which keel disappears in the adult; nuchal broader than long; first vertebral as broad in front as behind, or a little broader; vertebrals 2 to 4 subequal, much broader than long in the young, nearly as long as broad and as broad as the costals in the adult, the postero-lateral border of the third vertebral strongly concave. Plastron large, strongly angulate laterally in the young, convex in the adult, truncate anteriorly, angularly notched posteriorly; the width of the bridge exceeds the length of the posterior lobe; the longest median suture is that between the abdominals, the shortest that between the gulars, the latter never more than half that between the humerals; inguinal large, axillary smaller. Head rather small; snout pointed, produced, directed upwards; jaws with denticulated edge, upper feebly notched mesially; the width of the lower jaw at the symphysis nearly equals the diameter of the orbit. Limbs with transversely enlarged, band-like scales. Maximum carapace length is 60 cm. Upper surface of shell and soft parts olive-brown, lower surface yellowish. ^[2]

Distribution

The Batagur is found only in parts of India such as Bengal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia (Kedah, Perak and Terengganu), Sumatra, Indonesia and Cambodia (Cardamom Mountains), and populations have been sharply declining in recent years.

Decline

Many Asian turtles are in danger because of the thriving trade in animals in the region, where a species' rarity can add to its value on a menu or as a traditional medicine.

The species was thought to have disappeared in Cambodia until it was rediscovered in 2001. Conservationists eventually began tagging the animals with tracking devices and monitoring their nests, and King Norodom Sihamoni personally ordered their protection.

In Malaysia, rivers of Kedah, Perak and Terengganu are major nesting grounds though the population continues to crash despite conservation efforts undertaken by Malaysian Wildlife Department for over 20 years. Pasir Temir and Pasir Lubuk Kawah by the Terengganu River are the largest nesting sites for Batagur baska in the world.

Cited references

^ ROYAL DECREE on Designation of Animals and Plants as National Symbols of the Kingdom of Cambodia
^ Boulenger, G.A.(1890) Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia.

Other references

Asian Turtle Trade Working Group (2006). Batagur baska. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 10 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is critically endangered
Das, Indraneil (1989) "Batagur baska in Orissa" Hamadryad: The Journal of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust 14(1): 2-3
Gray,J.E. (1857) "Notice of some Indian tortoises (including the description of a new species presented to the British Museum by Professor Oldham)" Annals and Magazine of Natural History 19(2): 342-344
Platt, S.G.; Bryan L. Stuart; Heng Sovannara; Long Kheng, Kalyar and Heng Kimchhay (2003) "Rediscovery of the critically endangered river terrapin, Batagur baska, in Cambodia, with notes on occurrence, reproduction, and conservation status" Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4(3): 691

External links

Turtle family Geoemydidae

Genus	Species of the family Geoemydidae

Batagur	Burmese roofed turtle · Northern river terrapin · Painted terrapin · Red-crowned roofed turtle · Southern river terrapin · Three-striped roofed turtle

Cuora	Amboina box turtle · Bourret's box turtle · Ryukyu yellow-margined box turtle · Indochinese box turtle · McCord's box turtle · Keeled box turtle · Pan's box turtle · Southern Vietname box turtle · Chinese three-striped box turtle · Yellow-headed box turtle · Yellow-margined box turtle · Yunnan box turtle · Zhou's box turtle

Cyclemys	Asian leaf turtle · Assam leaf turtle · Eastern black-bridged leaf turtle · Enigmatic leaf turtle · Myanmar brown leaf turtle · Oldham's leaf turtle · Western black-bridged leaf turtle

Geoclemys	Spotted pond turtle

Geoemyda	Black-breasted leaf turtle · Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle

Hardella	Crowned river turtle

Heosemys	Arakan forest turtle · Giant Asian pond turtle · Spiny turtle · Yellow-headed temple turtle

Leucocephalon	Sulawesi forest turtle

Malayemys	Malayan snail-eating turtle · Mekong snail-eating turtle

Mauremys	Balkan pond turtle · Caspian turtle · Chinese pond turtle · Chinese stripe-necked turtle · Japanese pond turtle · Red-necked pond turtle · Spanish pond turtle · Vietnamese pond turtle · Yellow pond turtle

Melanochelys	Indian black turtle · Tricarinate hill turtle

Morenia	Burmese eyed turtle · Indian eyed turtle

Notochelys	Malayan flat-shelled turtle

Orlitia	Malaysian giant turtle

Pangshura	Assam roofed turtle · Brown roofed turtle · Indian roofed turtle · Indian tent turtle

Rhinoclemmys	Black river turtle · Brown wood turtle · Colombian wood turtle · Furrowed wood turtle · Large-nosed wood turtle · Maracaibo wood turtle · Mexican spotted wood turtle · Painted wood turtle · Spot-legged turtle

Sacalia	Beal's eyed turtle · Four-eyed turtle

Siebenrockiella	Black marsh turtle · Philippine forest turtle

Vijayachelys	Cane turtle

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2010 update: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status.

Order Testudines (turtles)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines

Suborder

Superfamily

Family

Subfamily	Genus

Cryptodira

Chelydridae

	Chelydra Macrochelys

Chelonioidea

Cheloniidae

	Caretta Chelonia Eretmochelys Lepidochelys Natator

Dermochelyidae

	Dermochelys

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae

	Dermatemys

Kinosternidae

Kinosterninae	Kinosternon Sternotherus

Staurotypinae	Claudius Staurotypus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae

Deirochelyinae	Chrysemys Deirochelys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Trachemys

Emydinae	Clemmys Emys Glyptemys Terrapene

Geoemydidae

	Batagur Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys

Platysternidae

	Platysternon

Testudinidae

	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis Geochelone Gopherus Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria Psammobates Pyxis Stigmochelys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae

	Carettochelys

Trionychidae

Cyclanorbinae	Cyclanorbis Cycloderma Lissemys

Trionychinae	Amyda Apalone Chitra Dogania Nilssonia Palea Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx

Pleurodira

Chelidae

Chelidinae	Acanthochelys Chelus Mesoclemmys Phrynops Platemys Rhinemys

Chelodininae	Chelodina Elseya Elusor Emydura Pseudemydura Rheodytes

Hydromedusinae	Hydromedusa

Pelomedusidae

	Pelomedusa Pelusios

Podocnemididae

	Erymnochelys Peltocephalus Podocnemis

Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2010 update: annotated checklist. Extinct turtles not included.

See also List of Testudines families

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Batagur

Species	Burmese roofed turtle Northern river terrapin Painted terrapin Red-crowned roofed turtle Southern river terrapin Three-striped roofed turtle

National symbols of Cambodia

Flag of Cambodia · Royal Arms of Cambodia · Nokor Reach (anthem) · Angkor Wat · Mitrella mesnyi (flower) · Borassus flabellifer (tree) · Lady Finger banana (fruit) · Giant barb (fish) · Giant Ibis (bird) · Northern river terrapin (reptile) · Kouprey (mammal)