Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle

The Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra chitra) is a large species of softshell turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.

Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle
Fossil carapace
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Genus:	Chitra
Species:	C. chitra
Binomial name
Chitra chitra Nutaphand, 1986
Synonyms[3]
Chitra chitra chitra Chitra chitra Nutaphand, 1986 Chitra chitra chitra — McCord & Pritchard, 2003 Chitra chitra javanensis  ? Chitra selenkae Jaekel, 1911 Chitra chitra javanensis McCord & Pritchard, 2003 Chitra chitra javanica Iskandar & Mumpuni, 2003 (ex errore) Chitra chitra javaensis Artner, 2003 (ex errore)

Common names

Chitra chitra is also known commonly as Nutaphand's narrowhead softshell. It is a name given in honor of Wirot Nutaphand, a Thai herpetologist who did taxonomy.^[4]

Description

C. chitra can reach a straight carapace length of 4.9 ft (1.5 m).^{[citation needed]}

Geographic range

C. chitra is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.^[5]

Habitat

C. chitra inhabits freshwater rivers and their tributaries.^[5]

Reproduction

C. chitra is oviparous.^[5] Nutaphand (1986) reported that a large female laid over 100 eggs.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.^[5]

• Chitra chitra chitra Nutaphand, 1986 – Malaysia, Thailand
• Chitra chitra javanensis McCord & Pritchard, 2003 – Java, Sumatra

In captivity

The largest C. chitra in the world was a female named Sumo. She was a pet in the possession of Kittipong Jaruthanin, a Thai fish explorer and collector. She died in September 2023, aged more than 40 years.^[6]