AIzaSyAuJVPwNWvpDvUbpmqbZFnPgBC05Kg7mpw

You are here » home › advanced search › Pelodiscus sinensis

Pelodiscus sinensis (WIEGMANN, 1835)

IUCN Red List - Pelodiscus sinensis - Vulnerable, VU
iNaturalist logo

Can you confirm these amateur observations of Pelodiscus sinensis?

Add your own observation of
Pelodiscus sinensis »

Find more photos by Google images search: Google images

Higher TaxaTrionychidae, Testudines (turtles) 
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Chinese Soft-shelled Turtle
G: Chinesische Weichschildkröte 
SynonymTestudo rostrata THUNBERG 1787
Testudo semimembranacea HERMANN 1804 (nomen oblitum)
Trionyx (Aspidonectes) sinensis WIEGMANN 1835
Trionyx stellatus var. japon[ica] TEMMINCK & SCHLEGEL 1835 (in SIEBOLD)
Trionyx tuberculatus CANTOR 1842: 482
Tyrse perocellata GRAY 1844: 48
Trionyx perocellatus — GRAY 1855: 65
Trionyx schlegeli BRANDT 1858: 610
Trionyx sinensis — STRAUCH 1862: 177
Landemania irrorata GRAY 1869: 216
Oscaria swinhoei GRAY 1873
Gymnopus simonii DUMÉRIL 1875 (nomen nudum)
Yuen leprosus HEUDE 1880
Yuen viridis HEUDE 1880
Yuen pallens HEUDE 1880
Psilognathus laevis HEUDE 1880: 24
Temnognathus mordax HEUDE 1880: 26
Gomphopelta officinae HEUDE 1880: 27
Coelognathus novem-costatus HEUDE 1880: 29
Tortisternum novem-costatum HEUDE 1880: 31
Ceramopelta latirostris HEUDE 1880: 33
Coptopelta septem-costata HEUDE 1880: 35
Cinctisternum bicinctum HEUDE 1880: 37
Trionyx sinensis — GÜNTHER 1888: 166
Trionyx sinensis — BOULENGER 1889
Trionyx swinhonis BOULENGER 1889 (nom. subst. pro Oscaria swinhoei GRAY)
Trionyx cartilagineus var. newtoni FERREIRA 1897
Amyda japonica — STEJNEGER 1907: 515
Amyda sinensis — STEJNEGER 1907: 524
Amyda schlegelii — STEJNEGER 1907: 526
Trionyx sinensis cyphus VOGT 1922 (nomen illegitimum)
Amyda schlegeli haseri PAWLOW 1932
Amyda schlegeli licenti PAWLOW 1932
Amyda sinensis — SHANNON 1956
Trionyx sinensis — ALDERTON 1988
Pelodiscus sinensis — COX et al. 1998: 135
Pelodiscus sinensis — CROTHER 2000 
DistributionC/S China (Liaoning, Shaanxi, Anhui, Zhejiang, Guangdong), N Vietnam, Hainan, Taiwan, S Far East (Russia), Korea,
Japan (Bonin Islands), Indonesia (Timor), Japan, Philippine Islands (Panay)

Thailand and W Malaysia (introduced),
introduced to USA (Hawaii), and possibly Brazil (Felix-Silva et al. 2012).

Type locality: Manzhouli
Type locality: "kleinen Insel in Tigerfluss, dicht bei Macao" (= small island in the Tiger River near Macao), China (fide KING & BURKE 1989). Map legend:
TDWG region - Region according to the TDWG standard, not a precise distribution map.

NOTE: TDWG regions are generated automatically from the text in the distribution field and this does not always work properly. We are working on it.
 
TypesSyntypes: ZMB 38, 39 extant, and ZMB 37 lost.
Lectotype: ZMB 38, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin 
CommentConservation: These softshell turtles are economically the most important chelonians of the world, with hundreds of millions of specimens traded as food every year. Moreover, Pelodiscus is used as a model organism for embryological and physiological studies, making correct species identification of paramount interest for disciplines beyond taxonomy.

Taxonomy: Using the phylogenetic placement of all lineages and uncorrected p distances of the mitochondrial cytb gene as a yardstick, Stuckas & Fritz (2011) suggest that the observed sequence variation is consistent with the existence of at least four distinct species within Pelodiscus. The name P. sinensis should be restricted to turtles harbouring the mitochondrial lineages B, C, D and the lineage of the lectotype. More divergent lineages are to be identified with P. axenaria, P. maackii and P. parviformis, which are recognized as valid species by these authors.

Synonymy mainly after STEJNEGER 1907. Trionyx maackii BRANDT 1858, previously considered as a synonym of P. sinensis, is now recognized as a valid species.

Etymology: Trionyx maacki has been named after a R. Maack, a Russian who traveled in the Amur region in the early 1850ies and who collected the type (of Trionyx maacki).

KUZMIN (2002) reported a hybrid between Apalone mutica and Pelodiscus sinensis.

The International Comission of Zoological Nomenclature retained the name Trionyx sinensis WIEGMANN 1835 over Testudo rostrata THUNBERG 1787.
ZHAO (1997) believes that Pelodiscus (= Trionyx) arenaria ZHOU et al. (1991) is a juvenile form of P. sinensis.

The illustration of Trionyx sinensis in WERMUTH & MERTENS (1961: 277, Fig. 196a) is a copy of the holotype of Oscaria (= Rafetus) swinhoei (Gray, 1873c: 157 and Pl. V).

Type species: The type species of Pelodiscus is Trionyx (Aspidonectes) sinensis according to BAUR (1893). For a historical definition of Pelodiscus see BAUR (1893).

Reproduction: oviparous. 
References
  • Alderton, D. 1988. Turtles and tortoises of the world. Facts on File, New York.
  • Ananjeva, NB, Orlov NL; Khalikov RG; Darevsky IS; Ryabov IS & Barabanov AV 2006. The Reptiles of North Eurasia. Taxonomic Diversity, Distribution, Conservation Status [this comprises the territory of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia]. Pensoft Series Faunistica 47, 250 pp.
  • Baur,G. 1893. Notes on the classification and taxonomy of the Testudinata. Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 31: 210-225
  • Bonin, F., Devaux, B. & Dupré, A. 2006. Turtles of the World. English translation by P.C.H. Pritchard. Johns Hopkins University Press, 416 pp.
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1889. Catalogue of the Chelonians, Rhynchocephalians, and Crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). British Museum, London, 311 pp.
  • Brandt 1858. Mél. Biol. Acad. Sci. St. Pétersbourg 2: 610
  • Buskirk, James R. 1989. New locality records for Chinese non-marine chelonians [Chinemys reevesii nigricans, Cistoclemmys flavomarginata, Cuora galbinifrons hainanensis pani, Mauremys mutica, Clemmys Oscadia sinensis, Sacalia bealei quadriocellata, Platysternon megacephalum Chinese Herpetological Research 2 (2): 65-68
  • Campbell, Earl W., III 1993. Pelodiscus sinensis (Chinease Softshell). USA: Guam Herpetological Review 24 (2): 65
  • Cantor,T. 1842. General features of Chusan, with remarks on the flora and fauna of that island [part 3]. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (1) 9: 481-493 - get paper here
  • Chan-ard,T.; Grossmann,W.; Gumprecht,A. & Schulz,K. D. 1999. Amphibians and reptiles of peninsular Malaysia and Thailand - an illustrated checklist [bilingual English and German]. Bushmaster Publications, Würselen, Gemany, 240 pp. [book review in Russ. J Herp. 7: 87] - get paper here
  • Chen, T.H. & Lue, K.Y. 2010. Population status and distribution of freshwater turtles in Taiwan. Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 44(2): 261–266
  • Cox, Merel J.; Van Dijk, Peter Paul; Jarujin Nabhitabhata & Thirakhupt,Kumthorn 1998. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Ralph Curtis Publishing, 144 pp.
  • Delfino, Massimo; Uwe Fritz and Marcelo R. Sánchez-Villagra 2010. Evolutionary and developmental aspects of phalangeal formula variation in pig-nose and soft-shelled turtles (Carettochelyidae and Trionychidae). Organisms Diversity & Evolution 10 (1): 69-79 - get paper here
  • Diesmos, Arvin C.; Rafe M. Brown, Angel C. Alcala, and Rogelio V. Sison 2008. Status and Distribution of Nonmarine Turtles of the Philippines Chelonian Conservation and Biology 7(2): 157
  • Ernst, Carl H.; Lovich, Jeffrey E. 2009. Turtles of the United States and Canada, 2nd edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, 827 pp.
  • Ernst,C.H. and Barbour,R.W. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. - London
  • FELIX-SILVA, D.; HERNÁNDEZ-RUZ, E. J. ; FIGUEREIDO, M. W.; Pezzuti, JBC 2012. Geographic distribution: PELODISCUS SINENSIS Wiegmann, 1835 (Chinese softshell turtle). Herpetological Review 43(4): 616
  • Ferreira, J. Bethencourt 1897. Sobre alguns reptis ultimamente enviados á secção zoologica do Museu de Lisboa. Jornal de Sciencias Mathematicas, Physicas e Naturaes, Lisboa 5 (18): 111-116
  • Ferreira, J. Bethencourt 1898. Reptis de Timor no Museu de Lisboa. Jorn. Sci. Math. Phys. Nat. (2) 5 (19): 151-156
  • Fong, J.J. & Qiao, G.X. 2010. New localities of endangered Chinese turtles from museum specimens and the practical and ethical challenges using and reporting natural history collection data. Zootaxa 2393: 59–68 - get paper here
  • Gaulke, M. 2011. The herpetofauna of Panay Island, Philippines. Edition Chimaira, 390 pp.
  • Goris, R.C. & Maeda, N. 2004. Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Japan. Krieger, Malabar, 285 pp.
  • Gramentz, Dieter 2010. Die Chinesische Weichschildkröte Pelodiscus sinensis. Natur und Tier Verlag, 64 pp. - get paper here
  • Gray, J.E. 1844. Catalogue of Tortoises, Crocodilians, and Amphisbaenians in the Collection of the British Museum. British Museum (Natural History), London. viii + 80 p.
  • Gray, J.E. 1869. Notes on the families and genera of tortoises (Testudinata), and on the characters afforded by the study of their skulls. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1869: 165-225. - get paper here
  • Gray,J.E. 1856. Catalogue of Shield Reptiles in the Collection of the British Museum. Part I. Testudinata (Tortoises). British Museum, London, 79 pp. [1855]
  • Günther, A. 1888. On a collection of reptiles from China. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 1: 165-172 - get paper here
  • Hennig, A.S. 2004. Haltung von Wasserschildkröten. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster), 125 pp. - get paper here
  • Heude 1880. Mém. Hist. Nat. Emp. Chinois I: 24
  • Kawagoshi, T. et al. 2009. The ZW Micro-Sex Chromosomes of the Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis, Trionychidae, Testudines) Have the Same Origin as Chicken Chromosome 15. Cytogenet Genome Res 127: 125-131
  • Kuraku, Shigehiro; Junko Ishijima, Chizuko Nishida-Umehara, Kiyokazu Agata, Shigeru Kuratani<br />& 2006. cDNA-based gene mapping and GC3 profiling in the soft-shelled turtle suggest a chromosomal size-dependent GC bias shared by sauropsids. Chromosome Research 14:187–202
  • Kuzmin, S.L. 2002. The turtles of Russia and other Ex-soviet Republics. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt, 159 pp.
  • Lourenço, João M.; Julien Claude, Nicolas Galtier, Ylenia Chiari 2011. Dating cryptodiran nodes: Origin and diversification of the turtle superfamily Testudinoidea. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 62 (1): - get paper here
  • Mao, W.P. & Wang, Z.X. 2000. Seasonal Variations of Testicular and Epididymal Structure and Plasma Levels of Testosterone in the Soft-shelled Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). Asiatic Herpetological Research 8: 75-80 [1999] - get paper here
  • Mckeown, Sean 1996. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians in the Hawaiian Islands. Diamond Head Publishing, Inc., Los Osos, CA,
  • Nagashima, Hiroshi; Fumiaki Sugahara, Masaki Takechi, Rolf Ericsson, Yoshie Kawashima-Ohya, Yuichi N 2009. Evolution of the Turtle Body Plan by the Folding and Creation of New Muscle Connections. Science 325 (5937): 193 - get paper here
  • Niu, C.; Zhang, T. & Sun, R. 2000. Food Consumption and Growth of Juvenile Chinese Soft-shelled Turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) in Relation to Body Weight and Water Temperature. Asiatic Herpetological Research 8: 81-84 [1999] - get paper here
  • OHYA, KAWASHIMA YOSHIE; SHIGEHIRO KURAKU, and SHIGERU KURATANI 2005. Hox Code in Embryos of Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle Pelodiscus sinensis Correlates With the Evolutionary Innovation in the Turtle. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY (MOL DEV EVOL) 304B: 107–118
  • Que, Y. et al. 2007. PRIMER NOTE: Isolation and characterization of microsatellites in Chinese soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis. Molecular Ecology Notes 7: 1265–1267
  • Rudolphi, Michael and Ronald Weser. 1998. Die Weichschildkröten Nordvietnams unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Nackendornen-Weichschildkröte, Palea steindachneri (Siebenrock, 1906). Sauria 20 (1): 2-14. - get paper here
  • Sang, Nguyen Van; Ho Thu Cuc, Nguyen, Quang Truong 2009. Herpetofauna of Vietnam. Chimaira, Frankfurt, 768 pp.
  • Shannon, F.A. 1956. The reptiles and amphibians of Korea Herpetologica 12 (1): 22-49 - get paper here
  • Shiping, Gong; Haitao Shi, Jonathan J. Fong and Michael Lau. 2009. Recent records of freshwater turtles from Guangdong, China. Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter 13:24-27
  • Siebenrock, F. 1902. Zur Systematik der Schildkrötenfamilie Trionychidae Bell, nebst der Beschreibung einer neuen Cyclanorbis - Art. Sitzungsber. K. Akad. Wiss. Wien. Math-Naturwiss. Cl. 111: 807-846 - get paper here
  • Siebenrock, F. 1907. Über einige zum Teil seltene Schildkröten aus Südchina. Akad. Anz. Wien 44: 491-492
  • Stejneger, L. 1910. The batrachians and reptiles of Formosa. Proc. US Natl. Mus. 38: 91-114 - get paper here
  • Stejneger, LEONHARD H. 1907. Herpetology of Japan and adjacent territory. Bull. US Natl. Mus. 58: xx, 1-577 - get paper here
  • Strauch, A. 1862. Chelonogische Studien, mit besonderer Bezeichung auf die Schildkrötensammlung der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu St. Petersburg. Mémoires de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St.-Pétersbourg, Série 7(5): 1-196
  • Stuckas, H. and Fritz, U. 2011. Identity of Pelodiscus sinensis revealed by DNA sequences of an approximately 180-year-old type specimen and a taxonomic reappraisal of Pelodiscus species (Testudines: Trionychidae). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 49: 335–339. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0469.2011.00632.x - get paper here
  • Szczerbak, N.N. 2003. Guide to the Reptiles of the Eastern Palearctic. Krieger, Malabar, FL, 260 pp. - get paper here
  • Temminck, C.J., and H. Schlegel. 1835. Vol. III Reptilia. xxii + 144 p., 27 pls. In: P.F. Von Siebold, Fauna Japonica sive Descriptio animalium, quae in itinere per Japonianum, jussu et auspiciis superiorum, qui summum in India Batava Imperium tenent, suscepto, annis 1823-1830 colleget, n J.G. Lalau, Leiden [1838]. [Though the title page bears the date 1838, Volume III was issued in several parts, each with consecutively numbered pages and separately numbered plates. According to Stejneger 1907, Herpet. Japan. Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus. Wa - get paper here
  • Valenzuela, N. 2009. Co-Evolution of Genomic Structure and Selective Forces Underlying Sexual Development and Reproduction. Cytogenet Genome Res 127: 232-241
  • Valverde, J. 2007. Weichschildkröten. Reptilia (Münster) 12 (68): 16-23 - get paper here
  • Webb, R.G. 1990. Trionyx sinensis Weigmann, 1834 (Reptilia, Testudines): proposed conservation of the specific name. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 47:122-123
  • Webb, R.G. 2004. Trionychid turtle miscellany. Hamadryad 28 (1&2): 119-121
  • Wiegmann, A. F. A. 1834. In: Dr. F. J. F. Meyen: Beiträge zur Zoologie gesammelt auf einer Reise um die Erde. Siebente Abhandlung. Amphibien. Nova Acta Physico-Medica Academia Caesarea Leopoldino-Carolina (Halle) 17: 185-268 [1835] - get paper here
  • Yamada, Kazuhiko; Chizuko Nishida-Umehara & Yoichi Matsuda 2005. Molecular and cytogenetic characterization of site-specific repetitive DNA sequences in the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis, Trionychidae). Chromosome Research 13: 33–46
  • Zhao, K. 1997. Studies on the classification of Chinese soft-shelled turtles (Trionychidae). [in Chinese]. Sichuan Journal of Zoology 15 (Suppl.): 55-64 - get paper here
  • Ziegler, T. 2002. Die Amphibien und Reptilien eines Tieflandfeuchtwald-Schutzgebietes in Vietnam. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster), 342 pp. - get paper here
 
External links  
Is it interesting? Share with others:


Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator