{"elementGlobalId":105189,"circumscripConfidence":{"id":1,"circumscripConfidenceDescEn":"1 - Strong","circumscripConfidenceDescEs":"1 - Fuerte","circumscripConfidenceDescFr":"1 – Forte"},"classificationLevel":{"id":7,"classificationLevelNameEn":"Species","classificationLevelNameEs":"Especies","classificationLevelNameFr":"Espèce"},"classificationStatus":{"id":1,"classificationStatusDescEn":"Standard","classificationStatusDescEs":"Estándar","classificationStatusDescFr":"Standard"},"iucn":{"id":5,"iucnDescEn":"Vulnerable","iucnDescEs":"Vulnerable","iucnDescFr":"Vulnérable","iucnCode":"VU"},"nameCategory":{"id":1,"nameCategoryDescEn":"Vertebrate Animal","nameCategoryDescEs":"Animal vertebrado","nameCategoryDescFr":"Animal vertébré","nameTypeCd":"A","nameTypeDesc":"Zoological"},"rankMethodUsed":null,"formattedScientificName":"<i>Pelodiscus sinensis</i>","scientificName":"Pelodiscus sinensis","scientificNameAuthor":"(Wiegmann, 1834)","primaryCommonName":"Chinese Softshell Turtle","relatedItisNames":"<i>Pelodiscus sinensis</i> (Wiegmann, 1834) (TSN 208697)","uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105189","elcode":"ARAAG02010","conceptRefFullCitation":"King, F. W., and R. L. Burke, editors. 1989. Crocodilian, tuatara, and turtle species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Association of Systematics Collections, Washington, D.C. 216 pp.","conceptName":"<i>Pelodiscus sinensis</i>","taxonomicComments":"Removed from genus <i>Trionyx</i> and placed in genus <i>Pelodiscus</i> by Meylan (1987). Retained in genus <i>Trionyx</i> by Webb (1990). Specimens from Hawaii have been confused with <i>Palea</i> (<i>Trionyx</i>) <i>steindachneri</i>, which apparently also occurs there (see Webb 1980, McKeown 1978). An earlier specific name, <i>rostrata</i> Thunberg, 1787, has been suppressed by the ICZN (see 1991 Bull. Zool. Nomen. 48(3):276).<br /><br />See discussion in Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (2021) regarding genetic analysis by Xiong et al. (2019).","roundedGRank":"G4","conservationStatusFactorsEditionDate":null,"conservationStatusFactorsEditionAuthors":null,"primaryCommonNameLanguage":"EN","recordType":"SPECIES","elementNationals":[{"elementNationalId":163677,"classifConfidence":null,"nation":{"id":225,"nameEn":"United States","nameEs":"Estados Unidos","nameFr":"États-Unis","isoCode":"US","region":"United States"},"roundedNRank":"NNA","elementSubnationals":[{"elementSubnationalId":335947,"subnation":{"id":16,"nameEn":"Hawaii","nameEs":"Hawai","nameFr":"Hawaï","subnationCode":"HI","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"SNA","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"SNA","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":335947,"hybrid":false,"exotic":true,"native":false}}],"nrankReviewYear":1996,"nrank":"NNA","speciesNational":{"elementNationalId":163677,"exotic":true,"native":false}}],"lastModified":"2026-10-02T21:45:29.192075Z","lastPublished":"2026-10-02T21:32:08.892226Z","promotionalDescription":null,"conceptLineageSummary":null,"nsxUrl":"/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105189/Pelodiscus_sinensis","grankAdjustmentReasons":null,"grankChangeDate":"1996-10-23","grankReviewDate":"1996-10-23","grankReasons":null,"grank":"G4","rankInfo":{"elementGlobalId":105189,"aooPercentGood":null,"enviromentalSpecificity":null,"intrinsicVulnerability":null,"longTermTrend":null,"numberEos":null,"numberGoodEos":null,"numberProtEos":null,"popSize":null,"rangeExtent":null,"shortTermTrend":null,"threatImpactAssigned":null,"rangeExtentComments":"Native to China, Japan. Introduced in Hawaii (Kauai, Oahu; distribution records should be verified in view of apparent occurrence of a second TRIONYX species in Hawaii (see TAXCOM). Introduced and established on Guam, Mariana Islands (McCoid 1993; Campbell and McCoid, 1993, Herpetol. Rev. 24:65).","areaOfOccupancy":null,"areaOfOccupancyComments":null,"numberEosComments":null,"popSizeComments":null,"viabilityComments":null,"threatImpactComments":null,"shortTermTrendComments":null,"longTermTrendComments":null,"inventoryNeeds":null,"numberProtEosComments":null,"protectionNeeds":null,"otherConsiderations":null,"intrinsicVulnerabilityComments":null,"enviromentalSpecificityComments":null},"animalCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":105189,"majorHabitat":{"id":2,"majorHabitatDescEn":"Freshwater","majorHabitatDescEs":"Agua dulce","majorHabitatDescFr":"Eau douce"},"nonMigrant":false,"localMigrant":false,"longDistanceMigrant":false,"mobilityMigrationComments":null,"foodHabitsComments":"Eats fishes, crayfishes, molluscs (McKeown 1978), and probably other small aquatic animals.","animalPhenologyComments":null,"colonialBreeder":false,"length":41,"width":null,"weight":null,"animalPhenologies":[],"animalFoodHabits":[{"animalCagFoodHabitsId":101157,"foodHabits":{"id":1,"foodHabitsDescEn":"Carnivore","foodHabitsDescEs":"Carnívoro","foodHabitsDescFr":"Carnivore","displayOrder":1},"adult":true,"immature":true},{"animalCagFoodHabitsId":101158,"foodHabits":{"id":2,"foodHabitsDescEn":"Piscivore","foodHabitsDescEs":"Piscivore","foodHabitsDescFr":"Piscivore","displayOrder":2},"adult":true,"immature":true},{"animalCagFoodHabitsId":101159,"foodHabits":{"id":3,"foodHabitsDescEn":"Invertivore","foodHabitsDescEs":"Invertívoro","foodHabitsDescFr":"Invertivore","displayOrder":3},"adult":true,"immature":true}]},"occurrenceDelineations":[{"eoSpecsDetailId":1215,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"eoSpecGroupName":"Softshell Turtles","subtypes":"Nesting area","inferredExtentDistance":3.0,"inferredExtentNotes":null,"minimumEoCriteria":"Occurrences are based on evidence of historical presence, or current and likely recurring presence, at a given location. Such evidence minimally includes collection or reliable observation and documentation of one or more individuals (including eggs) in or near appropriate habitat where the species is presumed to be established and  breeding.","mappingGuidance":"Occurrences should encompass foraging and wintering habitats, basking sites, nesting areas, and travel corridors between the aquatic/wetland habitats and nest sites; some of these may be farther apart than the separation distance.","separationBarriers":"Busy highway or highway with obstructions such that turtles rarely if ever cross successfully (does not include highways that traverse continuous aquatic/wetland habitat); untraversable topography (e.g., cliff); urbanized area dominated by buildings and pavement and lacking aquatic or wetland habitat.","separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":1.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":20.0,"altSeparationProcedure":"In some areas, individual annual home ranges may be longer than the separation distance, so it is important to evaluate movement patterns and seasonal changes in distribution before applying the standard separation distance for suitable habitat.","separationJustification":"In a Kansas river (Plummer and Shirer 1975), individual smooth softshells moved 2-4 km upstream or downstream in one day, and they were often recaptured in areas extending along 2-3 river km. An adult female moved 7.8 km upstream in two days. Only one long-distance movement exceeded 8 km. Mean short-term home range length was 1.2 km (range up to about 2.4 km) in adult females, 0.5 km (up to about 1.1 km) in males, but both sexes made long but brief movements out of their home ranges, and sometimes they shifted home range location during a single season. <br><br>In Vermont, spiny softshells migrated about 3 km between riverine wintering sites and river mouth nesting sites near Lake Champlain (Graham and Graham 1997). In another area of Lake Champlain, female softshells were more mobile than males and had annual home range lengths of up to 25 km (mean 13.7 km) (Galois et al. 2002). A female in that area nested more than 30 km from her wintering area (Daigle et al. 2002).<br><br>In general, nesting occurs on high open sandbars and banks close to water. In Florida, an Apalone ferox nest was in the sand apron of a recently abandoned gopher tortoise burrow, 103 m from the nearest body of water (Heinrich and Richardson 1993). Softshells nest usually within 100 m of water, often much closer than 100 m (Fitch and Plummer 1975, Vogt 1981).  <br><br>This information indicates that softshells along rivers and in lakes tend to move over relatively large areas, so a large separation distances is appropriate for suitable aquatic habitat. Overland movements are not extensive, as indicated by the short migrations from water to nesting sites, so the separation for unsuitable (i.e., non-nesting upland) habitat is the nominal minimum of 1 km; occurrences separated by 1 km or more of continuous upland habitat are treated as distinct occurrences. Use the suitable-habitat separation distance for lakes, ponds, and other habitats joined by a canal or other aquatic habitat through which softshells can swim.","versionDate":"2003-02-25","versionAuthor":"Hammerson, G.","versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-04-30T02:06:50.740853Z"}],"plantCharacteristics":null,"elementManagement":{"elementGlobalId":105189,"eoManagementGroupName":null,"stewardshipOverview":null,"impacts":null,"restorationPotential":null,"siteConservationPlansConsidered":null,"managementMethods":null,"monitoringMethods":"See Doody and Tamplin (1992, Herpetol. Rev. 23:54-56) for an efficient marking technique.","managementProgramContacts":null,"monitoringProgramContacts":null,"managementResearchPrograms":null,"managementResearchNeeds":null,"biologicalResearchNeeds":null,"additionalTopics":null},"occurrenceViabilities":[{"eoRankSpecsDetailId":106623,"eoRankSpecsGroupName":null,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"excellentViability":null,"goodViability":null,"fairViability":null,"poorViability":null,"viabilityJustification":"Use the Generic Guidelines for the Application of Occurrence Ranks (2008).<br>The Key for Ranking Species Occurrences Using the Generic Approach provides a step-wise process for implementing this method.","versionDate":null,"versionAuthor":null,"versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-05-14T02:28:24.699092Z"}],"references":[{"id":118569,"citation":"King, F. W., and R. L. Burke, editors. 1989. Crocodilian, tuatara, and turtle species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Association of Systematics Collections, Washington, D.C. 216 pp.","shortCitationAuthor":"King and Burke","shortCitationYear":1989,"referenceCode":"B89KIN01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T14:38:20.126743Z"},{"id":134988,"citation":"McCoid, M. J. 1993. The \"new\" herpetofauna of Guam, Mariana Islands. Herpetol. Rev. 24:16-17.","shortCitationAuthor":"McCoid","shortCitationYear":1993,"referenceCode":"A93MCC03NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:17:25.964887Z"},{"id":134553,"citation":"McKeown, S. 1978. Hawaiian reptiles and amphibians. Oriental Pub. Co., Honolulu. 80 pp.","shortCitationAuthor":"McKeown","shortCitationYear":1978,"referenceCode":"B78MCK01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:12:21.616638Z"},{"id":119020,"citation":"McKeown, S. 1996. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians in the Hawaiian Islands. Diamond Head Publishing. Los Osos, California.","shortCitationAuthor":"McKeown","shortCitationYear":1996,"referenceCode":"B96MCK01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:11:57.819328Z"},{"id":142805,"citation":"Meylan, P. A. 1987. The phylogenetic relationships of soft-shelled turtles (Family Trionychidae). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 186:1-101.","shortCitationAuthor":"Meylan","shortCitationYear":1987,"referenceCode":"B87MEY01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:13:19.242438Z"},{"id":1107320,"citation":"Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (TTWG) [Rhodin, A. G. J., J. B. Iverson, R. Bour, U. Fritz, A. Georges, H. B. Shaffer, and P. P. van Dijk]. 2021. Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (9th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A. G. J., J. B. Iverson , P. P. van Dijk, C. B. Stanford, E. V. Goode, K. A. Buhlmann, and R. A. Mittermeier (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 8:1–472. doi: 10.3854/crm.8.checklist.atlas.v9.2021.","shortCitationAuthor":"TTWG","shortCitationYear":2021,"referenceCode":"B21TTW01NAUS","lastModified":"2022-07-02T00:44:58.794768Z"},{"id":722662,"citation":"Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [van Dijk, P.P., Iverson, J.B., Shaffer, H.B., Bour, R., and Rhodin, A.G.J.]. 2012. Turtles of the world, 2012 update: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Iverson, J.B., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5:000.243-000.328. Online. Available: www.iucn-tftsg.org/cbftt/.","shortCitationAuthor":"van Dijk et al.","shortCitationYear":2012,"referenceCode":"B12VAN01EHUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T14:38:20.126743Z"},{"id":106748,"citation":"Webb, R. G. 1980. The trionychid turtle <i>Trionyx steindachneri</i> introduced in Hawaii? J. Herpetol. 14: 206-207.","shortCitationAuthor":"Webb","shortCitationYear":1980,"referenceCode":"A80WEB02NAUS","lastModified":"2022-01-11T02:38:25.791061Z"},{"id":107868,"citation":"Webb, R. G. 1990. <i>Trionyx</i>. Cat. Am. Amph. Rep. 487.1-487.7.","shortCitationAuthor":"Webb","shortCitationYear":1990,"referenceCode":"A90WEB01NAUS","lastModified":"2022-01-11T02:17:24.057216Z"},{"id":1109073,"citation":"Xiong, G., X.Q. Wang, X.W., Zhou, D. Zeng, Z.N. Chen, P. Wang, and L. Kang. 2019. Genetic variation in the Chinese soft-shell turtles (<i>Pelodiscus </i>spp.) revealed by sequences of mitochondrial Cytb gene. Mitochondrial DNA Part A 30(8):874-879.","shortCitationAuthor":"Xiong et al.","shortCitationYear":2019,"referenceCode":"A19XIO01NAUS","lastModified":"2022-01-11T02:39:10.962756Z"}],"otherCommonNames":[],"speciesGlobal":{"elementGlobalId":105189,"cites":null,"cosewic":null,"fwsRegion":null,"genusSize":{"id":1,"genusSizeDescEn":"Monotypic genus","genusSizeDescEs":"Género monotípico","genusSizeDescFr":"Genre monotypique"},"jurisEndem":{"id":5,"jurisEndemDescEn":"occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations","jurisEndemDescEs":"Se encuentra en varias naciones (de manera regular, como un taxón nativo)","jurisEndemDescFr":"Se trouve dans plusieurs nations (de façon régulière, tel un taxon indigène)"},"nomenclaturallyEst":null,"usesa":null,"informalTaxonomy":{"informalTaxonomyId":8,"level1":"Animals","level2":"Vertebrates","level3":"Turtles","level":3,"hasChildren":false,"parentId":2,"distributionStatus":"complete","displayOrder":1110},"parentSpecies":null,"infraspecies":false,"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Craniata","taxclass":"Chelonia","taxorder":"Testudines","family":"Trionychidae","genus":"Pelodiscus","americanFisheriesStatus":null,"americanFisheriesStatusDate":null,"saraStatus":null,"saraStatusDate":null,"cosewicDate":null,"interpretedCosewic":null,"cosewicComments":null,"usesaDate":null,"interpretedUsesa":null,"usesaComments":null,"completeDistribution":true,"synonyms":[{"id":101966,"synonym":"Trionyx sinensis","synonymAuthor":"Weigmann","formattedSynonym":"<i>Trionyx sinensis</i>"}],"infraspeciesList":[],"ebarId":null,"ebarCanadianScope":false,"ebarGlobalScope":false,"ebarKbaGroup":"Amphibians and Reptiles","caGeneralStatusId":null},"speciesCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":105189,"reproductionComments":"Clutch size 3-28. Eggs hatch in 48-68 days. Up to 4 clutches annually. Sexually mature in 5-6 years (McKeown 1978).","ecologyComments":null,"habitatComments":"Streams, canals, drainage ditches, ponds, freshwater marshes; eggs are laid in moist soil above water line (McKeown 1978, 1996).","generalDescription":null,"diagnosticCharacteristics":null,"speciesMarineHabitats":[],"speciesTerrestrialHabitats":[{"cagTerrHabId":-104121,"terrestrialHabitat":{"id":16,"terrestrialHabitatDescEn":"Sand/dune","terrestrialHabitatDescEs":"Arena/duna","terrestrialHabitatDescFr":"Dune","displayOrder":18}}],"speciesRiverineHabitats":[{"cagRiverineHabId":-101620,"riverineHabitat":{"id":2,"riverineHabitatDescEn":"MEDIUM RIVER","riverineHabitatDescEs":"RÍO MEDIANO","riverineHabitatDescFr":"MOYENNE RIVIÈRE","displayOrder":2}},{"cagRiverineHabId":-101621,"riverineHabitat":{"id":3,"riverineHabitatDescEn":"CREEK","riverineHabitatDescEs":"ARROYO","riverineHabitatDescFr":"RUISSEAU","displayOrder":3}},{"cagRiverineHabId":-101619,"riverineHabitat":{"id":7,"riverineHabitatDescEn":"Low gradient","riverineHabitatDescEs":"Pendiente de bajo flujo","riverineHabitatDescFr":"Pente d’écoulement faible","displayOrder":7}},{"cagRiverineHabId":-101618,"riverineHabitat":{"id":9,"riverineHabitatDescEn":"Pool","riverineHabitatDescEs":"Piscina","riverineHabitatDescFr":"Fosse","displayOrder":9}}],"speciesPalustrineHabitats":[{"cagPalusHabId":-100825,"palustrineHabitat":{"id":2,"palustrineHabitatDescEn":"HERBACEOUS WETLAND","palustrineHabitatDescEs":"HUMEDAL HERBÁCEO","palustrineHabitatDescFr":"TERRE HUMIDE HERBACÉE","displayOrder":2}},{"cagPalusHabId":-100824,"palustrineHabitat":{"id":6,"palustrineHabitatDescEn":"Riparian","palustrineHabitatDescEs":"Ribereño","palustrineHabitatDescFr":"Riverain","displayOrder":6}}],"speciesLacustrineHabitats":[{"cagLacusHabId":-100131,"lacustrineHabitat":{"id":2,"lacustrineHabitatDescEn":"Shallow water","lacustrineHabitatDescEs":"Aguas poco profundas","lacustrineHabitatDescFr":"Eau peu profonde","displayOrder":2}}],"speciesSubterraneanHabitats":[],"speciesEstuarineHabitats":[]},"primaryReference":{"id":1107320,"citation":"Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (TTWG) [Rhodin, A. G. J., J. B. Iverson, R. Bour, U. Fritz, A. Georges, H. B. Shaffer, and P. P. van Dijk]. 2021. Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (9th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A. G. J., J. B. Iverson , P. P. van Dijk, C. B. Stanford, E. V. Goode, K. A. Buhlmann, and R. A. Mittermeier (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 8:1–472. doi: 10.3854/crm.8.checklist.atlas.v9.2021.","shortCitationAuthor":"TTWG","shortCitationYear":2021,"referenceCode":"B21TTW01NAUS","lastModified":"2022-07-02T00:44:58.794768Z"},"predecessors":[],"elementGlobalThreatAssessments":[]}