Wattle-necked softshell turtle

Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)^[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Subfamily:	Trionychinae
Genus:	Palea Meylan, 1987 ^[3]
Species:	P. steindachneri
Binomial name
*Palea steindachneri* (Siebenrock, 1906)^[3]
Synonyms^[4]^[5]
Aspidonectes californiana Rivers, 1889 (nomen suppressum) Pelodiscus californianus — Baur, 1893 Aspidonectes californiensis [sic] O.P. Hay, 1904 (ex errore) Trionyx steindachneri Siebenrock, 1906 (nomen conservandum) Amyda steindachneri — K.P. Schmidt, 1927 Palea steindachneri — Meylan, 1987 Trionix steindachneri — Richard, 1999 Pelodiscus steindachneri — Pritchard, 2001 Palea steindachneri — Ziegler, 2002

The wattle-necked softshell turtle (Palea steindachneri), also commonly known as Steindachner's soft-shelled turtle,^[6] is an endangered Asian species of softshell turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is the only member of the genus Palea.^[3]

Description

P. steindachneri exhibits sexual dimorphism. Females of this freshwater turtle reach up to 44.5 cm (17.5 in) in straight carapace length, while males only reach up to 36 cm (14 in). However, males have a longer tail than the females.^[7]

Etymology

The specific name, steindachneri, is in honor of Austrian herpetologist Franz Steindachner.^[6]

Geographic range

P. steindachneri is native to southeastern China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Yunnan), Laos, and Vietnam, but has also been introduced to Hawaii and Mauritius.^[3]

Threats

P. steindachneri is endangered by poaching for human consumption. Although pressure on the wild population continues, several thousand are hatched and raised each year on turtle farms in China and Vietnam for food and traditional medicine.^[8]^[9]

References

Meylan PA (1987). "The Phylogenetic Relationships of Soft-shelled Turtles (Family Trionychidae)". Bull. American Mus. Nat. Hist. 186 (1): 1-100. (Palea, new genus, p. 94).
Siebenrock F (1906). "Zur Kenntnis der Schildkrötenfauna der Insel Hainan ". Zoologischer Anzeiger 30: 578-586. (Trionyx steindachneri, new species, pp. 579–581). (in German).

Wikispecies has information related to Palea steindachneri.

Trionychidae family

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Superfamily: Trionychia

Genera

Species of the Trionychidae family

Amyda

Asiatic softshell turtle
†Amyda gregaria
Amyda ornata

Apalone

†Axestemys

†Axestemys byssina
†Axestemys cerevisia
†Axestemys montinsana
†Axestemys quinni
†Axestemys splendida
†Axestemys vittata

Chitra

Cyclanorbis

Cycloderma

Dogania

Malayan softshell turtle

†Gilmoremys

†Gilmoremys gettyspherensis
†Gilmoremys lancensis

†Hutchemys

†Hutchemys arctochelys
†Hutchemys rememdium
†Hutchemys tetanetron
†Hutchemys sterea
†Hutchemys acupictus

†Khunnuchelys

†Khunnuchelys erinhotensis
†Khunnuchelys kizylkumensis
†Khunnuchelys lophorhothon

Lissemys

Nilssonia

†Palaeoamyda

†Palaeoamyda messeliana

Palea

Wattle-necked softshell turtle

Pelochelys

Pelodiscus

Rafetus

Trionyx

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Genus

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers
Palea steindachneri	Wikidata: Q2415046 Wikispecies: Palea steindachneri ADW: Palea ARKive: palea-steindachneri BOLD: 191044 CoL: 4C42C EoL: 791223 GBIF: 2442749 iNaturalist: 39575 IRMNG: 10362340 ISC: 116081 ITIS: 208695 IUCN: 15918 NAS: 1277 NatureServe: 2.105012 NCBI: 161718 Observation.org: 101957 RD: steindachneri Species+: 9161

Description

Etymology

Geographic range

Threats

References

Further reading