Bourret's box turtle (''Cuora bourreti''),
also known
commonly as the central Vietnamese flowerback box turtle and the Indochinese box turtle, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of turtle in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Geoemydidae
The Geoemydidae (formerly known as Bataguridae) are one of the largest and most diverse families in the order Testudines (turtles), with about 70 species. The family includes the Eurasian pond and river turtles and Neotropical wood turtles. Mem ...
. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
.
Geographic range
''C. bourreti'' is found in central Vietnam and adjacent Laos.
Habitat
The preferred natural
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
of ''C. bourreti'' is
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
, at altitudes of .
Description
''C. bourreti'' may attain a straight-line
carapace length of . Adult females and adult males are about the same size. Hatchlings have a straight-line carapace length of .
Taxonomy
Although Stuart and Parham (2004) argued that ''C. bourreti'' was quite distinct, possibly enough to justify its elevation to a full species, osteologic studies
have shown that it probably better remains as a subspecies of ''
C. galbinifrons''. This is further substantiated by the finding of
intergradation
In zoology, intergradation is the way in which two distinct subspecies are connected via areas where populations are found that have the characteristics of both. There are two types of intergradation: primary and secondary intergradation.
Primary ...
zones in north-central Vietnam, where hybrid populations of ''C. g. galbinifrons'' and ''C. g. bourreti'' are known to exist.
Etymology
''C. bourreti'' is named in honor of
French herpetologist
Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians ( gymnophiona)) and rep ...
René Léon Bourret
René Léon Bourret (28 January 1884, Nérac, ( Lot-et-Garonne) – 28 July 1957) was a French herpetologist and geologist.
In 1900, he arrived in French Indochina as a member of the military. Beginning in 1907, he worked as a surveyor for the "c ...
.
In captivity
The Vietnamese press has reported successful breeding of ''C. bourreti'' at a
turtle farm
Turtle farming is the practice of raising turtles and tortoises of various species commercially. Raised animals are sold for use as gourmet food, traditional medicine ingredients, or as pets. Some farms also sell young animals to other farms, e ...
in
Dak Lak
DAK is the Deutsches Afrika Korps, a German World War II unit.
DAK, Dak, dak, or ''variation'', may also refer to:
Places
* Dak, Kerman, Kerman Province, Iran
* Dak, Sistan and Baluchestan, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
* Dakhla Oasis Ai ...
, Vietnam by a pharmacist who studied in France.
Two Bourret's box turtles hatched at the
National Zoo in the United States on 12 June 2017.
"Critically endangered Bourret's box turtles hatch at the Smithsonian's National Zoo"
National Zoo, 21 June 2017.
Gallery
Image:Bourreti2crop.jpg,
Image:Bourreti3.jpg,
Image:Bourreti4.jpg,
References
Further reading
* Fritz U, Petzold A, Auer M (2006). "Osteology in the ''Cuora galbinifrons'' complex suggests conspecifity of ''C. bourreti'' and ''C. galbinifrons'', with notes on shell osteology and phalangeal formulae within the Geoemydidae". ''Amphibia- Reptilia'' 27 (2): 195–205.
*Fritz U, Ziegler T, Herrmann H-W, Lehr E (2002). "Intergradation between subspecies of ''Cuora galbinifrons'' Bourret, 1939 and ''Pyxidea mouhotii'' (Gray, 1862) in southern North Vietnam". ''Faunistiche Abhandlungen Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde Dresden'' 23 (3): 59–74.
* Obst FJ, Reimann M (1994). "''Bemerkenswerte Variabilität bei'' Cuora galbinifrons ''Bourret, 1939, mit Beschreibung einer neuen geographischen Unterart:'' Cuora galbinifrons bourreti ''subsp. nov.''" ''Zoologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde Dresden'' 48: 125–138. (''Cuora galbinifrons bourreti'', new subspecies). (in German).
* Stuart BL, Parham JF (2004). "Molecular phylogeny of the critically endangered Indochinese box turtle (''Cuora galbinifrons'')". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 31: 164–177. (''Cuora bourreti'', new status).
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2488846
Cuora
Turtles of Asia
Reptiles of Laos
Reptiles of Vietnam
Reptiles described in 1994