Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle explained

The Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra chitra) is a large species of softshell turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.

Common names

Chitra chitra is also known commonly as Nutaphand's narrowhead softshell. It is a name given in honor of Wirot Nutaphand, a Thai herpetologist who did taxonomy.^[1]

Description

C. chitra can reach a straight carapace length of 4.9 ft (1.5 m).

Geographic range

C. chitra is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Habitat

C. chitra inhabits freshwater rivers and their tributaries.

Reproduction

C. chitra is oviparous. Nutaphand (1986) reported that a large female laid over 100 eggs.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.^[2]

• Chitra chitra chitra – Malaysia, Thailand
• Chitra chitra javanensis – Java, Sumatra

In captivity

The largest C. chitra in the world was a female named Sumo. She was a pet in the possession of Kittipong Jaruthanin, a Thai fish explorer and collector. She died in September 2023, aged more than 40 years.^[3]

Further reading

• Nutaphand, Wirot (1986). "[Manlai, the world's largest soft-shelled turtle]" [''Thai Zoological Magazine''] 1 (4): [64-70]. (Chira chitra, new species). (in Thai).

Notes and References

1. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . ("Nutaphand's Narrowhead Softshell Chitra chitra ", p. 192).
2. . www.reptile-database.org.
3. Web site: thai. 2023-09-28. 2023-09-29. เตรียมพบกับข้อมูลของ'ซูโม่'ในแง่มุมต่างๆอย่างครบถ้วน. Kittipong. Jaruthanin. Facebook.