Amur softshell turtle explained

Pelodiscus maackii, commonly known as the Amur softshell turtle or the northern Chinese softshell turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is found in the Russian Far East, northeastern China, Korea, and Japan.^[1] It is possible that the Japanese populations are the result of ancient introductions by humans.^[1] This aquatic species may attain a straight carapace length of 32.5abbr=onNaNabbr=on.^[2]

Breeding

In China specifically the breeding of the closely-related Chinese softshell turtle has been done for over 2400 years and the production has come^[3] to 340,000 Annually due to the demand.

Etymology

The specific name, maackii, is in honor of Russian naturalist Richard Maack.^[4]

Further reading

• Brandt JF (1857). "Observationes quaedam ad generis Trionychum species duas novas spectantes ". Bulletin de la Classe Physico-Mathématique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint-Pétersbourg 16: 110–111. (Trionyx maackii, new species). (in Latin).
• Stejneger L (1907). Herpetology of Japan and Adjacent Territory. Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum Bulletin 58. Washington, District of Columbia: Government Printing Office. xx + 577 pp. (Amyda maackii, p. 529).

Notes and References

1. Rhodin, A. G. J. . Iverson, J. B. . Bour, R. . Fritz, U. . Georges, A. . Shaffer, H. B. . van Dijk, P. P. (Turtle Taxonomy Working Group) . 2017 . Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status . Rhodin, A.G.J. . Iverson, J.B. . van Dijk, P.P. . Saumure, R.A. . Buhlmann, K.A. . Pritchard, P.C.H. . Mittermeier, R.A. . Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group . 8 . Chelonian Research Monographs . 7 . 1–292 . 10.3854/crm.7.checklist.atlas.v8.2017. 9781532350269 . 89826255 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200213162405/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/64c5/1a25fb4afce9a68f6fadc4e63c80929938d2.pdf . dead . 2020-02-13 .
2. Web site: Chinese Soft-shell Turtle . Ecology Asia . 28 September 2017.
3. Gong . Shiping . Vamberger . Melita . Auer . Markus . Praschag . Peter . Fritz . Uwe . 2018-05-04 . Millennium-old farm breeding of Chinese softshell turtles (Pelodiscus spp.) results in massive erosion of biodiversity . The Science of Nature . en . 105 . 5 . 34 . 10.1007/s00114-018-1558-9 . 29728774 . 2018SciNa.105...34G . 13681962 . 1432-1904.
4. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Pelodiscus maackii, p. 164).