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{{short description|Species of reptile}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Leith's softshell turtle Nilssonia leithii 1.jpg
| status = CR
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Praschag, P. |author-link=species:Peter Praschag |author2=Das, I. |author2-link=species:Indraneil Das |author3=Choudhury, B.C. |author3-link=species:Binod Chandra Choudhury |author4=Singh, S. |date=2021 |title=''Nilssonia leithii '' |volume=2021 |article-number=e.T2174A2778380 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T2174A2778380.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| status2 = CITES_A1
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref = <ref name="CITES">{{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}</ref>
| genus = Nilssonia
| species = leithii
| authority = ([[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1872)<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />
| synonyms = *''Trionyx javanicus'' {{small|— Gray, 1831}} (part)
*''Testudo gotaghol'' {{small|[[Francis Buchanan-Hamilton|Buchanan-Hamilton]], 1831}} ''([[nomen nudum]])''
*''Aspilus gataghol'' {{small|— Gray, 1872}}
*''Trionyx leithii'' {{small|Gray, 1872}}
*''Isola leithii'' {{small|— Gray, 1873}}
*''Aspideretes leithii'' {{small|— [[Oliver Perry Hay|O.P. Hay]], 1904}}
*''Trionyx sulcifrons'' {{small|[[Nelson Annandale|Annandale]], 1915}}
*''Trionyx leithi'' {{small|[[Malcolm Arthur Smith|M.A. Smith]], 1931}} ''([[ex errore]])''
*''Amyda leithi'' {{small|— [[Robert Mertens|Mertens]], [[Lorenz Müller|L. Müller]] & [[species:Hans-Theodor Rust|Rust]], 1934}}
*''Aspideretes leithi'' {{small|— [[species:Binod Chandra Choudhury|Choudhury]] & [[Subramanian Bhupathy|Bhupathy]], 1993}}
*''Trionys leithii'' {{small|— [[species:Fritz Jürgen Obst|Obst]], 1996}}
*''Trionix leithi'' {{small|— [[species:Enrique Richard|Richard]], 1999}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="Fritz07">{{Harnvb|Fritz|2007|pp=310-311}}</ref>
| range_map =
| range_map_caption =
}}

'''Leith's softshell turtle''' ('''''Nilssonia leithii''')'' is a [[species]] of [[turtle]] in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Trionychidae]]. The species is found in peninsular [[India]]n rivers including the [[Tungabhadra River|Thungabhadra]], [[Ghataprabha River|Ghataprabha]], [[Bhavani River|Bhavani]], [[Godavari River|Godavari]], [[Kaveri]] and [[Moyar River|Moyar]] Rivers.<ref name=":0">Das, I.; Sirsi, S.; [[species:Karthikeyan Vasudevan|Vasudevan, K.]]; [[species:B.H.C.K. Murthy|Murthy, B.H.C.K]] (2014). "''Nilssonia leithii'' (Gray 1872) – Leith's Softshell Turtle". '''''In'':''' [[species:Anders Gunnar Johannes Rhodin|Rhodin, A.G.J.]]; [[Peter Pritchard|Pritchard, P.C.H.]]; [[species:Peter Paul van Dijk|van Dijk, P.P.]]; [[species:Raymond A. Saumure|Saumure, R.A.]]; [[species:Kurt A. Buhlmann|Buhlmann, K.A.]]; [[species:John B. Iverson|Iverson, J.B.]]; [[Russell Mittermeier|Mittermeier, R.A.]] (editors) (2014). ''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''. pp. 075.1–5, {{doi|10.3854/crm.5.075.leithii.v1.2014}}, <nowiki>http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/cbftt/</nowiki>.</ref> The type locality is [[Pune]] in India.<ref>[[John Edward Gray|Gray, J.E.]] (1872). "Notes on the mud-turtles of India (''Trionyx'', [[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|Geoffroy]])". ''Annals and Magazines of Natural History, Fourth Series'' '''10''': 326–340.</ref>

==Etymology==
The [[Specific name (zoology)|specific name]], ''leithii'', is in honor of Andrew H. Leith, a physician with the Bombay Sanitary Commission.<ref>[[species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]]; [[species:Michael Watkins|Watkins, Michael]]; [[species:Michael Grayson|Grayson, Michael]] (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (''Nilssonia leithii'', p. 155).</ref>

==Description==
''N. leithii'' is intermediate between ''[[Nilssonia gangetica|N. gangetica]]'' and ''[[Nilssonia hurum|N. hurum]]''. It is like the former in the width of the interorbital space, the comparatively short mandibular symphysis, and the markings of the head. It is like the latter in the longer and more pointed snout, the absence of a strong ridge on the inner alveolar surface of the mandible, and in the presence, in the young, of four or more dorsal ocelli, which are, however, smaller than in ''N. hurum''.<ref>[[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger GA]] (1890). ''The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia''. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (''Trionyx leithii'', p. 12).</ref>

Adults may attain a straight [[Turtle shell#Carapace|carapace]] length of {{convert|64|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Das2002>Das I (2002). ''Snakes and other Reptiles of India''. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. {{ISBN|0-88359-056-5}}. (''Aspideretes leithii'', p. 138).</ref>

==Diet==
''N. leithii'' [[Predation|preys]] on mosquito larvae, crabs, freshwater molluscs, and fish.<ref name=":0" /> It also sometimes feeds on small aquatic vegetation.<ref name=Das2002/>

==Reproduction==
The adult female ''N. leithii'' lays eggs in June. The eggs are spherical, and the diameter of each egg is 30 to 31 mm (1.2 in).<ref name=Das2002/>

[[File:1 Leith's Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia leithii) hatchling.jpg|thumb|Leith's softshell turtle (''Nilssonia leithii)'' hatchling found in [[Bhor]], Maharashtra]]

==Threats==
The species ''N. leithii'' is locally exploited throughout peninsular India.<ref>[[species:Appukuttannair Biju Kumar|Biju Kumar, A.]] (2004). "Records of Leith's softshell turtle, ''Aspideretes leithi'' (Gray, 1872) and Asian giant soft shell turtle, ''Pelochelys cantorii'' (Gray, 1864) in Bharathapuzha River, Kerala". ''Zoos' Print Journal'' '''19''' (4): 1445.</ref> Other major threats are riverine development projects, aquatic pollution, sand mining, construction of hydroelectric projects, poaching, and exploitation of eggs.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dharwadkar |first=Sneha |date=2020 |title=''Nilssonia leithii'' (Gray, 1872) |url=https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/238648 |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=India Biodiversity Portal}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

== Geographic range ==
Leith's softshell turtle is [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[South India|peninsular India]]<ref>[[species:Muhamed Jafer Palot|Palot, Muhamed Jafer]] (2013). "''Nilssonia leithii'' ".  '''''In'':''' Venkataraman, K.; Chattopadhyay, A.; [[species:Kumarapuram Apadodharanan Subramanian|Subramanian, K.A.]] (editors). (2013). ''Endemic Animals of India (Vertebrates)''. Kolkata: Zoological Survey of India. 235 pp., 26 plates.</ref> in the Indian states of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Tamil Nadu]]<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> and [[Odisha]]<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*[[John Edward Gray|Gray JE]] (1872). "Notes on the Mud-Tortoises of India (''Trionyx'', [[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|Geoffroy]])". ''Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Fourth Series'' '''10''': 326–340. (''Trionyx leithii'', new species, pp. 334–335).

==External links==
*{{Anchor|CITEREFFritz2007}}{{cite journal|journal=Vertebrate Zoology|title=Checklist of Chelonians of the World|year=2007|first=Uwe|last=Fritz|author-link=species:Uwe Fritz|author2=Havaš, Peter|author2-link=species:Peter Havaš |volume=57|issue=2|pages=149–368 |doi=10.3897/vz.57.e30895 |s2cid=87809001 |doi-access=free }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Nilssonia leithii}}
*{{NRDB species|genus=Nilssonia |species=leithii }}

{{Trionychidae}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q304147}}

[[Category:Nilssonia (turtle)]]
[[Category:Endemic reptiles of India]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1872]]
[[Category:Taxa named by John Edward Gray]]

Leith's softshell turtle - Revision history

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