Assam roofed turtle

Assam roofed turtle
Photo of Pangshura sylhetensis from Pakke Tiger Reserve
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Geoemydidae
Genus:	Pangshura
Species:	P. sylhetensis
Binomial name
Pangshura sylhetensis
Synonyms[1]
Pangshura sylhetensis Jerdon, 1870 Jerdonella sylhetensis Gray, 1870 Kachuga sylhetensis Boulenger, 1889

Assam roofed turtle (Pangshura sylhetensis) , is a species of the Geoemydidae family of turtles found in the Brahmaputra-Meghna drainage in India (Assam) and parts of eastern Bangladesh. It was formerly in the Batagur genus and defunct genus Kachuga.

Description

Carapace pattern

This turtle has an elevated carapace, 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.^[2] Length of shell 7 inches.

Type locality: Sylhet River, Khasi Hills, India.

References

• Asian Turtle Trade Working Group (2000). Kachuga sylhetensis. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. 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

• Kachuga sylhetensis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
• http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Kachuga_sylhetensis.JPG

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 Indochinese box turtle McCord's box turtle Keeled box turtle Pan's box turtle Southern Vietnamese 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 Black pond turtle Geoemyda Black-breasted leaf turtle Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle Hardella Brahminy 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 based on turtles of the world 2011 update: annotated checklist.