Phylum Chordata Rank Genus | Scientific name Rafetus Order Turtle | |
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Lower classifications Yangtze giant softshell t, Hoan Kiem turtle, Euphrates softshell turtle | ||
China artificially inseminates last rafetus turtle
Rafetus is a genus of highly endangered softshell turtles in the Trionychidae family. These large turtles are found in freshwater habitats in Asia. According to most taxonomists, the genus contains the following 2 species:
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A third species, the Hoan Kiem turtle (Rafetus leloii, syn. R. vietnamensis), has been proposed as a species. It is considered a junior synonym of Rafetus swinhoei by most authorities, but some Vietnamese scientists insist the two forms are not identical. The last living individual at Hoan Kiem Lake was found dead on 19 January 2016.
Cladogram
As Walter G. Joyce, Ariel Revan, Tyler R. Lyson and Igor G. Danilov (2009)
Distribution
References
Rafetus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA