Pelodiscus is a
genus of
turtles in the
familyTrionychidae, the softshells.[1] Based on
genetic and
morphological analysis there are seven valid species.[3] They are native to Eastern Asia, ranging from the
Amur region, south through
China and
Korea, as far south as
Vietnam.[4] Populations in
Japan are thought to likely originate from historic human introductions.[3]
Phylogenetic studies have recovered a high diversity of Pelodiscusgenotypes in China, some of which may correspond to distinct species. However, the millennia-old practice of farming Pelodiscus for consumption, especially in large-scale
turtle farms since the late 20th century, is thought to threaten these lineages due to hybridization with farmed individuals.[5]
Nota bene: In the above list, a
binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Pelodiscus.
Fitzinger, L. (1835). "Entwurf einer systematischen Anordnung der Schildkröten nach den Grundsätzen der natürlichen Methode". Annalen des Wiener Museums der Naturgeschichte. 1: 105–128. (Pelodiscus, new genus, p. 120. (in German and Latin).