How big is the Yangtze giant softshell turtle?
39 inches by 28 inches
Yangtze giant softshell turtles, also called red river turtles, are the largest freshwater turtle species in the world. They can grow to over 39 inches by 28 inches and weigh up to 275 pounds.
What is the largest softshell turtle?
The Yangtze giant softshell turtle
The Yangtze giant softshell turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in the world. It grows to 100 centimetres and weighs up to 100 kilograms (kgs). The species’ extinction draws attention to the plight of soft shell turtles.
How big will a soft shell turtle get?
An adult female’s carapace can be anywhere from 7 to 19 inches (18 to 48 centimeters) in length, while the male’s is much smaller at 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) in length.
How many Yangtze giant softshell turtle are left in the world?
The Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle is native to China and Vietnam. There are only five known living individuals, three of which are males in captivity, and the two in Vietnam that are in the wild. The species is now functionally extinct, unless a female in the wild is located and successfully bred.
What is the largest turtle in the world?
Leatherbacks
Vulnerable. Leatherbacks are the largest turtles on Earth, growing up to seven feet long and exceeding 2,000 pounds. These reptilian relics are the only remaining representatives of a family of turtles that traces its evolutionary roots back more than 100 million years.
Is the Yangtze giant softshell turtle extinct in 2021?
The Yangtze giant softshell turtle is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, but may be virtually extinct in the wild. It is listed on CITES Appendix II. The future of this species rests on the success of the captive breeding efforts or a miraculous discovery of previously unknown populations.
Are Yangtze giant softshell turtle extinct?
Critically EndangeredYangtze giant softshell turtle / Conservation status
The Yangtze giant softshell turtle is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, but may be virtually extinct in the wild. It is listed on CITES Appendix II. The future of this species rests on the success of the captive breeding efforts or a miraculous discovery of previously unknown populations.
When did the Yangtze giant softshell turtle go extinct?
April 13, 2019
No turtle is more critically endangered than the Yangtze giant softshell turtle – with sad news that the last known (at the time) female of the species died on April 13, 2019, only three individuals were thought to exist; two in Vietnam and one at the Suzhou Zoo in China, believed to be more than 100 years old.
Can softshell turtles run fast?
Even in turtles, some are faster than others. The fastest turtle species in the world are the softshell turtles. Although turtles generally have a speed of 3 miles an hour, softshell turtles can travel at a rate of 15 miles per hour.
Can softshell turtles be pets?
At roughly half that size, the spiny and smooth softshell turtles are more manageable as pets. They can be kept in a large aquarium that’s at least 75 to 100 gallons. The water must be kept very clean, and there should be nothing sharp or rough that could cause a wound on your softshell turtle in that tank.
What is the rarest type of turtle?
In 2019, the world’s rarest turtle suffered a staggering loss. The last known female of the species, Swinhoe’s softshell turtle, died after an artificial insemination procedure at the Chinese zoo where she and her mate lived.
What is the second biggest turtle?
Aldabra tortoises
Aldabra tortoises are the second-largest tortoise species in the world.
What is the difference between male and female Yangtze giant softshell turtle?
The male is generally smaller than the female and has a longer, larger tail. The Yangtze giant softshell turtle has been known to inhabit the Yangtze River and Lake Tai, situated on the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, in eastern China, and Gejiu, Yuanyang, Jianshui and Honghe in Yunnan Province in southern China.
Are Yangtze giant softshell turtles endangered?
The Yangtze giant softshell turtle is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, but may be virtually extinct in the wild. It is listed on CITES Appendix II.
How many giant softshells in Lake Yangtze?
Researchers studying the eDNA from a lake in Vietnam identified the DNA of a Yangtze giant softshell in the lake, indicating the presence of at least one individual in the lake.
What is the Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei)?
The Yangtze giant softshell turtle ( Rafetus swinhoei ), also known as the Red River giant softshell turtle, Shanghai softshell turtle, or Swinhoe’s softshell turtle, is an extremely rare species of softshell turtle found in Vietnam and China. In Chinese, it is known as the speckled softshell turtle ( Chinese: 斑鱉; Pinyin: bān bīe).