Amyda cf. cartilaginea (Boddaert, 1770)

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 82-83

Amyda cf. cartilaginea (Boddaert, 1770) — Native.

Testudo cartilaginea Boddaert 1770: 1 . Holotype: MNHN 4150, by original designation. Type locality: None stated/traced; later designated as “Java”, Indonesia by Baur (1893: 220).

Asian Softshell Turtle

( Figure 9H )

Singapore records.

Trionyx cartilagineus — Hanitsch, 1898: 19.— Flower, 1899: 621.— Hanitsch, 1899:12 (Botanic Gardens).— Ridley, 1899: 187, 205.— Hanitsch, 1912b: 14.—D.S. Johnson, 1964: 48.—Sharma, 1973: 234.— F.L.K. Lim, 1984: 18.—L.M. Chou & Lam, 1989: 92.

? Trionyx cartilagineus —K. Lim & F. Lim, 1988b: 51 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).

Amyda cartilaginea —K. Lim, 1990a: 11 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest; Seletar Reservoir Park [USRP).—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 56.—Yong, 1990: 27.—D.S. Johnson, 1992: 68.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 138, 151 (Mandai).—K.K.P. Lim & Subharaj, 1992: 9 (Seletar Reservoir).—P.K.L. Ng & K.K.P. Lim, 1992: 260 (Nee Soon Swamp Forest).—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—R. Subaraj, 1994: 14 (MacRitchie Reservoir Park).—R. Subaraj et al., 1995: 5 (Lornie Forest; MacRitchie Park [MRP]).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 393 (Lornie Forest; Lower Peirce East Forest [LPF]; Nee Soon Range [NSSF]; Ulu Sembawang Forest).—B.L. Lim & Das, 1999: 39.—van Dijk, 2000: 22.—Iskandar, 2000: 79.—Tana et al., 2000: 57.— Anonymous, 2003: 92 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).— Auliya, 2007: 78–79.—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2007: 193.— Jensen & Das, 2008: 136.—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2008: 266.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 126, 159.—P.K.A. Ng, 2009: 26, 53, 203.— Das, 2010: 176. T.H. Ng & K.K.P. Lim, 2010: 119, 121, 126 (Kranji Reservoir; Upper Peirce Reservoir; Upper Seletar Reservoir).—D.C.J. Yeo et al., 2010: 194.—T.M. Leong & Gan, 2011: 27.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 462.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 126, 159.—N. Baker, 2014d: 272 (Lower Peirce Forest).— Auliya et al., 2016: 92.1, 92.11.—Wijedasa & Y. Lim, 2016: 53 (Singapore Botanic Gardens).—W. Wong, 2017: 64.—N. Baker, 2020b: 29 (Thomson Nature Park).—L. Cui et al., 2020, 2652.— Andersen et al., 2021: 3, 4.—TTWG, 2021: 316.— Kurniawan et al., 2022: 107.

Amyda ornata —H.H. Tan et al., 2015: 122 (Mandai Lake Road).

Remarks. Similar to C. amboinensis , the population of A. cf. cartilaginea in Singapore consists of wild and released individuals (Ng & Lim 2010). Amyda cf. cartilaginea is considered to occur naturally only in CNR ( Baker & Lim 2012), with individuals found outside CNR likely being released individuals since this species was commonly traded for food (Sharma 1973; Auliya et al. 2016). For example, one individual was found and photographed in a drain at Tampines on 9 October 2012 (I. Kwan pers. comm.). Yet, various animals are frequently released within CNR (e.g., Ng & Lim 2010), including the individual shown in Figure 9H which was photographed in the pond at the entrance of WNP on 7 July 2020. From 2005 to 2013, between 2,127 and 24,040 individuals of A. cf. cartilaginea were imported into Singapore from Indonesia for food ( Auliya et al. 2016), with prices reaching upwards of USD 21 per kg ( Andersen et al. 2021). To address the status of A. cf. cartilaginea in Singapore, the genetic diversity of individuals across Singapore needs to be tested.

Amyda cartilaginea represents a species complex with three species recognised ( Fritz et al. 2014). Amyda ornata was resurrected for mainland Southeast Asia populations, specifically north of Thailand ( Fritz et al. 2014; TTWG 2021). Populations from Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore were not analysed, but are believed to correspond to A. cartilaginea maculosa from Sumatra and northwestern Borneo ( Fritz et al. 2014; TTWG 2021). In Singapore, A. cf. cartilaginea was first recorded in 1898 by Hanitsch (1898) from two specimens caught by Ridley at SBG ( Hanitsch 1899). However, Hanitsch (1899) believed the two individuals were released there. Amyda cf. cartilaginea was not reported from Singapore again until 66 years later when Johnson (1964) noted that it was not uncommon in CCNR. The next documented field observation of A. cf. cartilaginea was on 1 August 1988 when one was spotted in a stream at NSSF ( Lim & Lim 1988b). However, Yong (1990) informs of four specimens deposited at LKCNHM: Ridley’s specimen above; one collected by Smith in 1901 at an unknown locality; one collected by Falshaw in 1907 from an unknown locality, and; one collected in 1955 by the Singapore Fisheries Research Station at an unknown locality.

Occurrence. Restricted to CNR and surrounding Nature Parks and forests. Uncommon.

Singapore conservation status. Vulnerable.

Conservation priority. Highest.

IUCN conservation status. Vulnerable [2000].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : ZRC.2.24 (1901), ZRC.2.137 (no date); Botanic Gardens : ZRC.2.131 (Sep-1898); Nee Soon Swamp Forest : ZRC.2.2593 (21-Apr-1990); Seletar Reservoir : ZRC. 2.2600 (04-May-1990); Seletar Reservoir Park [ USRP] : ZRC.2.3207 (25-Oct-1990); Sime Road Forest : ZRC.2.6854 (13-Dec-2008); Singapore Fisheries Research Station : ZRC.2.2528 (22- Nov-1955); Upper Seletar Reservoir : ZRC. 2.6934 (30-Nov-2007); Venus Drive [ WNP] : ZRC.2.6932 (22-Nov-2010) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): CAS, USNM, ZMH.

Singapore localities. Kranji Reservoir—Lornie Forest—Lower Peirce Forest—Lower Peirce Reservoir Park— MacRitchie Reservoir Park—Mandai—Mandai Lake Road—Nee Soon Swamp Forest—Seletar Reservoir (not specified)—Sime Road Forest—Singapore Botanic Gardens—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve— Tampines—Thomson Nature Park—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Peirce Reservoir—Upper Seletar Reservoir Park—Windsor Nature Park.

Genus Dogania Gray, 1844 (1 species)

Dogania Gray, 1844: 46 , 49 (type species: Trionyx subplanus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809 , by monotypy; gender feminine).

Figures

FIGURE 9. A) Batagur borneoensis, B) Cuora amboinensis, C) Cyclemys dentata, D) Heosemys grandis, E) Heosemys spinosa, F) Notochelys platynota, G) Siebenrockiella crassicollis, and H) Amyda cartilaginea. Photographs by: Marjorie Chong [A], Law Ing Sind [B], Nick Baker [C, F], Joys Tan [D], Kelvin K.P. Lim [E], Marcus A.H. Chua [G], and Alex Figueroa [H].