Leith's softshell turtle

Leith's softshell turtle (Nilssonia leithii) is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is found in peninsular Indian rivers including the Thungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Bhavani, Godavari, Kaveri and Moyar Rivers.[4] The type locality is Pune in India.[5]

Leith's softshell turtle
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Trionychidae
Genus: Nilssonia
Species:
N. leithii
Binomial name
Nilssonia leithii
(Gray, 1872)[1]
Synonyms[3]
  • Trionyx javanicus
    — Gray, 1831
    (part)
  • Testudo gotaghol
    Buchanan-Hamilton, 1831
    (nomen nudum)
  • Aspilus gataghol
    — Gray, 1872
  • Trionyx leithii
    Gray, 1872
  • Isola leithii
    — Gray, 1873
  • Aspideretes leithii
    — O.P. Hay, 1904
  • Trionyx sulcifrons
    Annandale, 1915
  • Trionyx leithi
    M.A. Smith, 1931
    (ex errore)
  • Amyda leithi
    — Mertens, L. Müller & Rust, 1934
  • Aspideretes leithi
    — Choudhury & Bhupathy, 1993
  • Trionys leithii
    — Obst, 1996
  • Trionix leithi
    — Richard, 1999

Etymology

The specific name, leithii, is in honor of Andrew H. Leith, a physician with the Bombay Sanitary Commission.[6]

Description

Nilssonia leithii is intermediate between Nilssonia gangetica and Nilssonia hurum. It is like the former in the width of the interorbital apace, the comparatively short mandibular symphysis, and the markings of the head. It is like the latter in the longer and more pointed snout, the absence of a strong ridge on the inner alveolar surface of the mandible, and in the presence, in the young, of four or more dorsal ocelli, which are, however, smaller than in N. hurum.[7]

Adults may attain a straight carapace length of 64 cm (25 in).[8]

Diet

Nilssonia leithii preys on mosquito larvae, crabs, freshwater molluscs, and fish.[4] They also sometimes feed on small aquatic vegetation.[8]

Reproduction

The adult female N. leithii lays eggs in June. The eggs are spherical, and the diameter of each egg is 30 to 31 mm (1.2 in).[8]

Threats

This species is locally exploited throughout peninsular India.[9] Other major threats are riverine development projects, aquatic pollution, sand mining, construction of hydroelectric projects, poaching, exploitation of eggs,.[10][4]

Geographic range

Leith's softshell turtle is endemic to peninsular India[11] in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu[1] and Odisha[1]

References
  1. Praschag, P.; Das, I.; Choudhury, B.C.; Singh, S. (2021). "Nilssonia leithii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T2174A2778380. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T2174A2778380.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. Fritz 2007, pp. 310–311
  4. Das, I., Sirsi, S., Vasudevan, K., and  Murthy ,B.H.C.K (2014). Nilssonia  leithii  (Gray  1872)  –  Leith’s  Softshell  Turtle.  In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Iverson,  J.B.,  and  Mittermeier, R.A.  (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles  and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5,  pp.  075.1–5,  doi:10.3854/crm.5.075.leithii.v1.2014,  http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/cbftt/.
  5. Gray,J.E.1872. Notes on the mud-turtles of India (Trionyx, Geoffroy). Annals and Magazines of Natural History (4)10:326–340
  6. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Nilssonia leithii, p. 155).
  7. Boulenger GA (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Trionyx leithii, p. 12).
  8. Das I (2002). Snakes and other Reptiles of India. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. ISBN 0-88359-056-5. (Aspideretes leithii, p. 138).
  9. Biju Kumar, A. 2004. Records of Leith’s softshell turtle, Aspideretes leithi (Gray, 1872) and  Asian giant  soft  shell turtle, Pelochelys cantorii (Gray, 1864) in Bharathapuzha River, Kerala. Zoos’ Print Journal 19(4):1445
  10. Dharwadkar, Sneha (23 February 2023). "Sneha Dharwadkar (2020) Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises Foundation". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  11. Jafer Palot, Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre;  in Venkataraman, K., Chattopadhyay, A. and Subramanian, K.A. (editors). 2013. Endemic Animals of India(vertebrates): 1–235+26 Plates. (Published by the director, Zoological Survey of india, Kolkata)

Further reading
  • Gray JE (1872). "Notes on the Mud-Tortoises of India (Trionyx, Geoffroy)". Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Fourth Series 10: 326–340. (Trionyx leithii, new species, 334–335).
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