Nubian flapshell turtle

Nubian flapshell 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
Genus:	Cyclanorbis
Species:	C. elegans
Binomial name
Cyclanorbis elegans (Gray, 1869)
Synonyms[3][4]
Baikiea elegans Gray, 1869 Cyclanorbis elegans – Boulenger, 1889 Cyclanorbis oligotylus Siebenrock, 1902

The Nubian flapshell turtle

It has historically been found in a wide range spanning Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, and Togo. However, it has been very rarely recorded during the last 50 years and there is little hope that the species is extant in West Africa. In 2017, a remnant population was found in the White Nile wetlands in South Sudan by Prof. Luca Luiselli and his team; this discovery was publicized in a 2019 paper.^[5][6] In 2021, another population was found along the White Nile wetlands in northern Uganda, near the border with South Sudan; the species was not previously recorded in this area.^[7]

Description

The Nubian flapshell turtle can reach a length of up to 70 cm (27.5 in).^[5]

Conservation

The Nubian flapshell turtle's habitat is located in politically very unstable areas which results in habitat loss. In addition the turtles are hunted as bushmeat.^[6] In addition, some Chinese expatriates in the area are known to pay high prices to fishermen for catching turtles, and they are used for both consumption and religious veneration. Some turtles may also be exported to Asia for the food trade.^[8] Bari fishermen in the area have extensive knowledge of the life history of Nubian flapshell turtles, including their nesting grounds, and this may be useful in conserving the species.^[9]

References