The Amur softshell turtle (Pelodiscus maackii), also commonly known as the northern Chinese softshell turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is native to Asia.
Geographic range Pelodiscus maackii is found in the Russian Far East, northeastern China, Korea, and Japan. It is possible that the Japanese populations are the result of ancient introductions by humans.
Description An aquatic species, Pelodiscus maackii may attain a straight carapace length of .
Breeding In China specifically, the breeding of the closely related Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) has been done for over 2,400 years, and the production has come to 340,000 annually due to the demand.
Etymology The specific name, maackii, is in honor of Russian naturalist Richard Maack.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Pelodiscus maackii, p. 164).
References
Further reading Brandt JF (1857). "Observationes quaedam ad generis Trionychum species duas novas spectantes ". Bulletin de la Classe Physico-Mathématique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint-Pétersbourg 16: 110–111. (Trionyx maackii, new species). (in Latin). Stejneger L (1907). Herpetology of Japan and Adjacent Territory. Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum Bulletin 58. Washington, District of Columbia: Government Printing Office. xx + 577 pp. (Amyda maackii, p. 529).