Asiatic softshell turtle

Asiatic softshell turtle
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Family:	Trionychidae
Genus:	Amyda
Species:	A. cartilaginea
Binomial name
Amyda cartilaginea (Boddaert, 1770)
Synonyms
Testudo cartilaginea Boddaert, 1770 Testudo membranacea Blumenbach, 1779 Testudo boddaerti Schneider, 1787 Testudo bodderti Schneider, 1787 (ex errore) Amyda javanica Schweigger, 1809 (nomen nudum) Trionyx javanicus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809 Trionyx stellatus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1810(nomen novum) Aspidonectes javanicus Wagler, 1830 Gymnopus javanicus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Gymnopus cartilaginea Cantor, 1847 Trionyx cariniferus Gray, 1856 Trionyx ornatus Gray, 1861 Aspilus cariniferus Gray, 1864 Aspilus ornatus Gray, 1864 Aspilus punctulatus Gray, 1864 Potamochelys stellatus Gray, 1864 Trionyx phayrei Theobald, 1868 Trionyx jeudi Gray, 1869 Aspilus javanicus Gray, 1873 Ida ornata Gray, 1873 Trionyx ephippium Theobald, 1875 Trionyx cartilagineus Boulenger, 1889 Trionyx phayrii Boulenger, 1889 (ex errore) Aspidonectes cartilagineus Baur, 1893 Aspidonectes phayrei Baur, 1893 Potamochelys cartilagineus O.P. Hay, 1904 Potamochelys javanicus O.P. Hay, 1904 Amyda cartilaginea Barbour, 1912 Amyda phayrii Barbour, 1912 Trionyx boddaertii Bourret, 1941 (ex errore) Trionyx carinifera Bourret, 1941 Trionyx cartilagneus Thelwall, 1971 (ex errore) Testudo boddaerta Auffenberg, 1974 (ex errore) Trionyx cartilaginosis Auffenberg, 1974 (ex errore) Trionyx cartilaginosus Auffenberg, 1974 (ex errore) Tryonyx cartilageneus Nutaphand, 1979 (ex errore) Trionyx cartilageneus Nutaphand, 1979 Trionyx cartlageneus Nutaphand, 1979 (ex errore) Trionyx nakornsrithammarajensis Nutaphand, 1979 Trionyx cartilaginous Chkhikvadze, 1987 (ex errore) Amyda nakornsrithammarajensis Ernst & Barbour, 1989 Amyda nakornsrithammarajensis Stubbs, 1989 Trionyx cartilageneus nakorn Nutaphand, 1990 Trionyx cartilageneus cartilageneus Nutaphand, 1990 Amyda cartilaginae Nöllert, 1992 (ex errore) Trionyx cartilagineus nakorn Obst, 1996 Trionix cartilagineus Richard, 1999

The Asiatic softshell turtle or black-rayed softshell turtle (Amyda cartilaginea) is a species of softshell turtle in the Trionychidae family. It is not the only softshell turtle in Asia (most trionychines are Asian).

Amyda Cartilaginea is found in Bangladesh (Bandarban region), Brunei, Cambodia, northeastern India, Indonesia (Java, Kalimantan), Laos, Malaysia(Sabah, Sarawak), Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Amyda cartilaginea has a shell that grows from 70 to 80 cm (27.6 to 31.5 inches) in length. The juvenile turtle's shell has a rough appearance; adults have a shell that is soft and leathery in texture. This turtle is average sized, growing to weigh between 15 kg (33 lbs) and 25 kg (55 lbs), with unconfirmed reports claiming that Amyda Cartilaginea can grow to be as heavy as 105 kg (231 lbs). Its carapace is oval in shape; on adult turtles its color ranges from a soft olive to green-brown. On juveniles, the carapace is dark brown or black, however this color fades with age. Yellow dots, and the occasional black spot, can be found on the shell, but these too fade as the turtle gets older. Its plastron is sexually dimorphic, appearing white in males and gray in females.

The head of Amyda cartilaginea can be black or brown. Its head typically displays yellow dots that sometimes appear to fuse together, creating elongated streaks. As the turtle ages, its nape region becomes white or gray. A trait that helps differentiate the Asiatic soft-shell turtle from other similar species is its noticeably elongated snout. This is an adaptation that, coupled with its great flexibility, aids the turtle in breathing when it has buried itself. Increased gas exchange, a result of an adaptation known as "pharyngel breathing", allows the Asiatic soft-shell turtle to remain submerged in water for extended periods of time.Amyda cartilaginea has several permanent tubercles on its neck; these tubercles can appear yellow or black. The Asiatic soft-shell turtle's limbs also have yellow spots, but these are usually less in quantity and difficult to distinguish. Its feet are wide and flat, resembling paddles. As a final descriptive note, the males have longer and thicker tails than females.

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