Asiatic Softshell Turtles (partially def ined as Trionyx spp.

Pro Wildlife

Loefflerstr. 5a, 80999 Munich; Tel.: 0049-89-81299-507; Fax: ++49-89-81299-706; E-mail: prowildlife@gmx.net

Download a PDF version of this table.

Download a MS Word 6.0 version of this table.

Roofed turtles (Kachuga spp.)

As a consequence of the breakdown of the Chinese turtle populations,
roofed turtles are imported from countries as far away as Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

Species Countries of Origin Biological Data Extent of Trade Population Trends

Kachuga dhongoka (1835) Three-striped roofed turtle Northern India (Ganges), Nepal Bangladesh (Brahmaputra) 21 to 34 eggs/nest, once a year; small populations Meanwhile offered in Chinese food markets (imported by planes); National trade in Nepal Declining populations (Choudhury & Bhutpathy, 1993) in India: "vulnerable" (BCPP, 1997) in Bangladesh: "few" specimen (Sarker & Hossain, 1997) IUCN (1996): "near threatened"

Kachuga kachuga (1831) Red-crowned roofed turtle Northern India (Ganges), Bangladesh (Brahmaputra), Nepal 20 to 25 eggs/nest, once a year; incubation period: 80 to 86 days; small populations Meanwhile offered in Chinese food markets (imported by planes); National trade in Nepal Population decline in India more than 80 % in 20 years (BCPP, 1997), in India: "vulnerable" In Nepal: "rare" (Shrestha, 1997) IUCN (1996): "endangered"

Kachuga smithii (1863) Brown roofed turtle Northern India (Ganges), Bangladesh (Brahmaputra), Pakistan (Indus) Low reproduction rate in captivity (3 to 11 eggs/ nest, once a year) Meanwhile offered in Chinese food markets (imported by planes) Decreasing populations in Nepal (Ernst et al., 1997) In India: "lower risk – least concern", globally: "data deficient" (BCPP, 1997), in Bangladesh: "few" specimen (Sarker & Hossain, 1997)

Kachuga sylhetensis (1870) Assam roofed turtle India (Northern Bengal, Himalaya, Punjab, Assam) No data No data Population decline in India more than 90 % in 10 years (BCPP, 1997), in India: "critically endangered", in Bangladesh "occasional" IUCN (1996): "data deficient"

Kachuga tentoria (1834) Indian tent turtle India (Mahanadi, Godavari, Kistna, Ganges, Chambal), Bangladesh (Jamuna), Nepal Low reproduction rate (3 to 12 eggs/nest, once a year) Meanwhile offered in Chinese food markets (imported by planes) Population decline in India more than 20 % in 10 years (BCPP, 1997), in India: "vulnerable" IUCN (1996): "vulnerable"

Kachuga trivittata (1835) Burmese roofed turtle Myanmar (Salween-Irawaddy river system) About 25 eggs/nest, once a year National trade in Myanmar Dramatically decreased populations (van Dijk, 1997) IUCN (1996): "endangered"

March 1999

Return to ProWildlife report.

Return to Home Page.

Species	Countries of Origin	Biological Data	Extent of Trade	Population Trends
Kachuga dhongoka (1835) Three-striped roofed turtle	Northern India (Ganges), Nepal Bangladesh (Brahmaputra)	21 to 34 eggs/nest, once a year; small populations	Meanwhile offered in Chinese food markets (imported by planes); National trade in Nepal	Declining populations (Choudhury & Bhutpathy, 1993) in India: "vulnerable" (BCPP, 1997) in Bangladesh: "few" specimen (Sarker & Hossain, 1997) IUCN (1996): "near threatened"
Kachuga kachuga (1831) Red-crowned roofed turtle	Northern India (Ganges), Bangladesh (Brahmaputra), Nepal	20 to 25 eggs/nest, once a year; incubation period: 80 to 86 days; small populations	Meanwhile offered in Chinese food markets (imported by planes); National trade in Nepal	Population decline in India more than 80 % in 20 years (BCPP, 1997), in India: "vulnerable" In Nepal: "rare" (Shrestha, 1997) IUCN (1996): "endangered"
Kachuga smithii (1863) Brown roofed turtle	Northern India (Ganges), Bangladesh (Brahmaputra), Pakistan (Indus)	Low reproduction rate in captivity (3 to 11 eggs/ nest, once a year)	Meanwhile offered in Chinese food markets (imported by planes)	Decreasing populations in Nepal (Ernst et al., 1997) In India: "lower risk – least concern", globally: "data deficient" (BCPP, 1997), in Bangladesh: "few" specimen (Sarker & Hossain, 1997)
Kachuga sylhetensis (1870) Assam roofed turtle	India (Northern Bengal, Himalaya, Punjab, Assam)	No data	No data	Population decline in India more than 90 % in 10 years (BCPP, 1997), in India: "critically endangered", in Bangladesh "occasional" IUCN (1996): "data deficient"
Kachuga tentoria (1834) Indian tent turtle	India (Mahanadi, Godavari, Kistna, Ganges, Chambal), Bangladesh (Jamuna), Nepal	Low reproduction rate (3 to 12 eggs/nest, once a year)	Meanwhile offered in Chinese food markets (imported by planes)	Population decline in India more than 20 % in 10 years (BCPP, 1997), in India: "vulnerable" IUCN (1996): "vulnerable"
Kachuga trivittata (1835) Burmese roofed turtle	Myanmar (Salween-Irawaddy river system)	About 25 eggs/nest, once a year	National trade in Myanmar	Dramatically decreased populations (van Dijk, 1997) IUCN (1996): "endangered"