Hardella thurjii
Encyclopedia
The Brahminy river turtle or Crowned river turtle (Hardella thurjii) is a species
of turtle
found in northern India
, Pakistan
, and Bangladesh
(in the watershed
s of the Ganges
, Brahmaputra
, and Indus
rivers). It belongs to the monotypic genus, Hardella.
, with an interrupted tubercular keel; margin not serrated; nuchal narrow, broadest posteriorly; first vertebral usually narrower anteriorly than posteriorly, lateral borders usually slightly sinuous; second, third, and fourth vertebrals considerably broader than long in the young, nearly as long as broad in the adult. Plastron large, angulate laterally, truncate anteriorly, angularly notched posteriorly; the width of the bridge exceeds the length of the posterior lobe; the longest median suture is that between the abdominals; suture between the gulars as long as that between the humerals or a little shorter (at least three fourths); inguinal large, axillary smaller. Head moderate; snout
short, obtuse; upper jaw
notched mesially, serrated; lower jaw very strongly dentated, flat inferiorly, its width at the symphysis a little less than the diameter of the orbit. Limbs with transversely enlarged, band-like scales
. Carapace dark brown or black; plastron yellowish, with a large blackish spot occupying the greater part of each shield, or entirely black. Soft parts dark brown; a yellow band across the prefrontal region, extending on each side, through the eye, to above the ear; another from below each eye, passing below the nostrils.
Length of shell 18 inches ( females ). Males much smaller.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
found in northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
(in the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
s of the Ganges
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
, Brahmaputra
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
, and Indus
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
rivers). It belongs to the monotypic genus, Hardella.
Description
This species has a moderately depressed carapaceCarapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
, with an interrupted tubercular keel; margin not serrated; nuchal narrow, broadest posteriorly; first vertebral usually narrower anteriorly than posteriorly, lateral borders usually slightly sinuous; second, third, and fourth vertebrals considerably broader than long in the young, nearly as long as broad in the adult. Plastron large, angulate laterally, truncate anteriorly, angularly notched posteriorly; the width of the bridge exceeds the length of the posterior lobe; the longest median suture is that between the abdominals; suture between the gulars as long as that between the humerals or a little shorter (at least three fourths); inguinal large, axillary smaller. Head moderate; snout
Snout
The snout, or muzzle, is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw.-Terminology:The term "muzzle", used as a noun, can be ambiguous...
short, obtuse; upper jaw
Jaw
The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
notched mesially, serrated; lower jaw very strongly dentated, flat inferiorly, its width at the symphysis a little less than the diameter of the orbit. Limbs with transversely enlarged, band-like scales
Reptile scales
Reptile skin is covered with scutes or scales which, along with other characteristics, distinguish reptiles from animals of other classes . Scales are made of keratin and are formed from the epidermis...
. Carapace dark brown or black; plastron yellowish, with a large blackish spot occupying the greater part of each shield, or entirely black. Soft parts dark brown; a yellow band across the prefrontal region, extending on each side, through the eye, to above the ear; another from below each eye, passing below the nostrils.
Length of shell 18 inches ( females ). Males much smaller.
External links
- http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Hardella_thurjii_thurjii.jpg
- http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Hardella_thurjii.jpg