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Batagur affinis

Batagur affinis


Useful links and literature:
The Reptile Database: Batagur affinis

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Baska: bewitched by Batagur

In his fifty years at the British Museum of Natural History , John Edward Gray described 306 reptile  species (1)(Uetz, 2010). It would appear that he was a classic “splitter”;  naming one species under several names. One group that benefitted from Gray’s nomenclatural creativity is the genus of six species of large river turtles, Batagur. When he named the genus, he gave no etymology and none has since been deduced, leaving the word without meaning other than being a genus of turtles. This genus has been at the heart of scientific exploration of the 19th century and has seen the struggles of European colonisation of Asia. Members of the genus have been revered as the property of Royalty and most populations have been decimated through their harvest of adults and eggs. Batagur contains five of the twenty-five most endangered species in the world (TCC, 2011). Consequently,  Batagur  turtles have been the subject of innovative conservation breeding efforts, taxonomic and genetic a

Why bat an eyelid at Batagur? Batagur’s the Best Beast Because....

Aside from having a completely made-up name* which sounds tough like a boxing dog's  growl,  what  is so outstanding about this group of turtles of the genus  Batagur ? I know I'm not the only one that thinks they're wonderful, they have a set of characteristics which make them remarkable to anyone. Firstly, their physical attributes make them impressive, to herpetologist and lay person alike. Aside from being physically spectacular, biological studies have shown  Batagur  turtles to display some marvelous adaptations to their lifestyle. Lastly, their chosen ecosystems and attributes of their tissues and eggs have made them of conservation interest, leading them to dubious distinction of being among the most represented genera of turtles threatened with extinction.   Dr Shailendra Singh, one of India's leading conservationists is a fan: " I like all large river turtles, and  Batagur   is my favorite genus of them.  Males in nuptial colors are unmatched! I believe 

Batagur Origins

Batagur Origins: where did turtles of the genus Batagur originally evolve and how do we know?   Prologue A large river turtle powers its way smoothly against the current of a voluminous river. The temperate climate of its surrounds provide it a rich bounty that make its ability to swim in strong currents pay off. Its river is changing, slowly but surely, as the Indian subcontinent contacts and begins to push against the Eurasian continent. Rivers change course and a section that was previously near the coast is now far inland. Having evolved to deal with river mouth tides and strong currents, our turtle is now in a deep, upriver section. The environment is warm and forests abound. So may have been the evolution of the shared ancestor of the large river turtles of the genera Batagur and Hardella.  Today these genera exist, from India, eastward through Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam; and south through Malaysia and Indonesia, to Borneo. They are strong swimmers, dee