REPRODUCTION TRAITS OF CAPTIVE ASIAN GIANT SOFTSHELL TURTLES, PELOCHELYS CANTORII

The Asian giant softshell turtle Pelochelys cantorii (Trionychidae) is seriously endangered and has designated as the first grade of protected animal in China in 1989. In 2000, it has been listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, and put on par along with the Giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca and the white-flag dolphin Lipotes vexillifer. This animal typically suffers from gradual reduction in its total population because of inadequate safety, food, and health protections. Sparse data, extensively referred in the literature, emphasize on the reproductive for this species, in order to enhance individuals’ knowledge about the reproduction of P. cantorii. For this purpose, we attempted to study the nesting behavior, clutch size, egg size, incubation period, as well as other reproductive characteristics of 4 adults (2♂, 2♀) under captive conditions from 2015 to 2017. Oviposition season is commenced from May to August; the egg-laying behaviors are typically occurred at the night. Clutches are made up of eggs with spherical and rigid shells without parental care behaviors. All adult females laid 5—6 clutches mean egg number=(42.6±5.3); (32—55); n=21 during the breeding season in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, the mean egg’s mass, egg’s diameter, and mass of the newly hatchings were (16.82±1.99) g (n=476), (3.10±0.18) cm (n=476), and (13.60±0.85) g (n=202), respectively. Analysis of reproductive data obtained by 2016 based on the size and mass of the eggs, which were positively correlated (r=0.916, P<0.01), showed that there was no significant difference in average size of clutch between these two females (Using analysis of variance (ANOVA),F_1,9=0.442, P=0.283). The weight of female No. 1 was more than that of female No. 2, the mass of female No. 1’s egg and newly hatchings were both more than that of female No. 2 as well. The juveniles fed by live fish seedlings could be reared to (510.30±82.77) g in the greenhouse for one year. The achieved findings affiliated with reproduction traits in P. cantorii can shield some light, and those results might be used to improve the conservation of the species.