The Nubian flapshell turtle or Nubian soft-shelled turtle (''Cyclanorbis elegans'') is one of two species of softshell turtle in the genus ''Cyclanorbis'' of the Trionychidae family. It is thought to have ranged from West Africa east through Central Africa to South Sudan, although it has been extirpated from the vast majority of its range.

Distribution

It has historically been found in a wide range spanning Benin, Central African Republic,

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria,

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

, 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 The White Nile ( ar, النيل الأبيض ') is a river in Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the other being the Blue Nile. The name comes from the clay sediment carried in the water that changes the water to a pale color. ...

wetlands in South Sudan by Prof. Luca Luiselli and his team; this discovery was publicized in a 2019 paper. 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.

Description

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

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. 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.

Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...

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.

References

External links

* * Cyclanorbis Turtles of Africa Reptiles of Cameroon Reptiles of the Central African Republic Reptiles of Nigeria Reptiles of South Sudan Vertebrates of Sudan Reptiles of West Africa Taxa named by John Edward Gray Reptiles described in 1869 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Turtle-stub