Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle


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

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.

Description

C. chitra can reach a straight carapace length of 4.9 ft.

Geographic range

C. chitra is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Habitat

C. chitra inhabits freshwater rivers and their tributaries.

Reproduction

C. chitra is oviparous. Nutaphand reported that a large female laid over 100 eggs.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

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.