Asiatic Herpetological Research

2001

Vol. 9, pp. 142-144

Translation: A New Species of the Turtle Genus Ctav#(Testudoformes:Testudinidae)

Ming-tao Song
Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi 'an Province, China(Current Address: Northern west Institute of Endangered Animals, Xi'an, China 710032)

Original English Abstract.- Cuora pani, sp. nov. (Figs. 1, 2). Holotype, SIZ 80170, an adult male. Allotype, SIZ
80171, an adult female. All of these type specimens were collected from Xujiaba (alt. 420 m) of Pingli County in

Shaanxi Province, on June 17, 1981 by the author, and are preserved in the Shaanxi Institute of Zoology. This

new species is similar to Cuora yurmanensis (Boulenger), but differs from the latter in having the median keel
not conspicuous and no lateral keels; a brown narrow band extending from behind eye to the neck; the suture
between gulars 1.5 times as long as that between humerals and much shorter than those between pectorals andbetween anals, but longer than that between femorals; the plastron yellow, with black sutures; and the limbs
brown, without any markings.
Song, M. T. 1984. A New Species Of The Turtle Genus Cuora (Testudoformes: Testudinidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 9(3):330-332. (In Chinese with English abstract)

There are six species belonging to the genus Cuora
Gray,

1855 (Pritchard,1967; Sichuan Institute ofBiology, 1977), that are distributed in Thailand, Cam-Malaysia, Indonesia,
southern provinces of China.
bodia,

thePhilippines,andtwo Cuora specimens were found during aofMt. Dabashan, Shaanxi Province. Thesesurvey
In 1981,

Description of Holotype

The carapace is flattened, with an inconspicuous
median keel. The cervical scute is small. The anterior
margin of the first vertebral is flaring, the anterior
margin wider than the posterior margin. The second
vertebral is square-shaped, with both sides are slightly

from the six known species

protruding. The third and the fourth vertebrals are as
wide as long, with the fourth vertebral being wider

and are recognized as a new form. Its description isthan long. The first pleural is the longest, the second isspecimens are different

wider and as long as thegiven below.

third,and the fourth thesmallest. There are twelve marginals.

Cuora pani, sp. nov. (figs. 1-2)

ginal

The holotype, SIZ 80170, is an adult male. The allotype, SIZ 80171, is an adult female. Both of the typespecimens were collected from Xujiaba (alt. 420 m)of Pingli County in Shaanxi Province, on June 17,
1981 by the author, and are preserved in the Shaanxi

The new species is similar to Cuora yurmanensis(Boulenger), but differs from that species by having a
median keel that is not conspicuous and no lateralbrown narrow band extending from behindthe eye to the neck; the seam between the gulars 1.5
times as long as the seam between the humerals andkeels; athanthosebetween

pectorals

andbetween anals, but longer than that between femorals;
the plastron yellow, with black markings along theseams; the limbs are brown and without any markings.

to tenth are slightly flared.

The plastron is rounded anteriorly and notched
The plastron can completely close theposteriorly.

shell and is united to the carapace by ligamentous tis-sue. The ligamentous tissue is also between the pecto-and abdominals. The length of gular seam is 1.5
times the humeral seam, and much shorter than pectoral,

Diagnosis

shorter

The first mar-the widest, the third to seventh and the ninthrals

Institute of Zoology.

muchisabdominal, or anal seam. The pectoral seam is aslong as abdominal seam, the anal seam a little shorter,and the abdominal seam is nearly twice the length of
the gular seam; femoral seam much shorter, only a little longer than humeral seam. There are a pair of anals

that are notched posteriorly.

The head is moderate in size, smooth on top, andThe snout ispointed, projecting over the upper jaw. The diameterof the orbit is about the same of the length of snout.

rather rough in the occipital region.

Upper jaw is slightly curved and a little longer thanthe lower jaw.

Asiatic Herpetological Research

2001

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1

The forelimb is covered by imbricate scales posteriorly

and with a transverse series of large scales onventrally. The hindlimb is covered by scales mediallyand on the tarsus. There are five claws on the forelimband four on the hindlimb. The webbing between thedigits

shape.

iswell developed. The tail is short, conical in
The tail is covered by granular scales on its

back, and covered with paired scales forming a longitudinal groove ventrally.

Icm

Figurel. The holotype (SIZ 80170), an adult male, in
dorsal view.

Vol. 9. p. 143

cm

Figure 2. The allotype (SIZ 801 70), an adult female, inventral view.

Color in life
The carapace is light brown. The plastron and ventral
side of marginals are yellow, with broad black bars
along the seams. The top of the head is olive, darkgray laterally, with two brown stripes behind the orbitand along tympanum to neck. The tympanum is lightgray. The lower jaw and chin are grayish-yellow. The

back of the neck is brown, but lighter ventrally. Theshoulders are light yellow and the axilla are yellow.

The limbs and tail are light brown above and graybelow. The pelvic region and the area behind the fern-

Vol. 9. p. 144

Asiatic Herpetological Researchora are light yellow. The claws are brown with theirtips yellow.

2001

Literature Cited
Department of Herpetology. Sichuan Institute of Biol-Allotype

The seams of the plastron are not as black as in theholotype, the back of tail is covered with a few largeogy (Zhao. E.. Y.-m. Jiang, and Y. Shen). 1977. [Systematic Key to Chinese Reptilia]. Science Press,Beijing.

110 pp. (in Chinese).

scales.

Pope. C. H. 1935. The reptiles of China. Natural History of Central Asia 10:28-35.

Acknowledgments

Smith. M.A. The Fauna of British India. IncludingThis translation was provided by Ermi Zhao with per-Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. I.Loricata, Testudines. Taylor and Francis. London. 185

mission of Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica.

The figures

were provided by Ming-Tao Song.
Table 1.

Measurements of types (in mm).

pp.