User:GarrettErb/sandbox

Final Draft

Amyda cartilaginea have a shell that grows from 70 to 80 cm (27.6 to 31.5 inches) in length. The juvenile turtle’s shell has a rough appearance; however, fully grown Asiatic Soft-shell turtles have a shell that is soft and leathery in texture. This turtle is average sized, as it grows to weigh between 15 kg (33 lbs) and 25 kg (55 lbs), with unconfirmed reports claiming as heavy as 105 kg (231 lbs). Its carapace is oval in shape, and on adults appears a soft olive to green-brown. On juveniles, the carapace is dark brown or black, and this color fades with age. Yellow dots, and the occasional black spot, can be found on the shell, but these too fade as the turtle gets older. Its plastron is sexually dimorphic, appearing white in males and gray in females.

The head of the turtle can be black or brown. Its head typically displays yellow dots that sometimes appear to fuse together, creating elongated streaks. It’s nape region becomes white or gray when the turtle ages. A trait that helps differentiate the Asiatic soft-shell turtle from other similar species is its noticeably elongated snout. This is an adaptation that, coupled with its great flexibility, aids the turtle in breathing while it is has buried itself. Increased gas exchange, a result of an adaptation known as "pharyngel breathing", allows for the Asiatic soft-shell turtle to remain submerged for extended periods of time. In addition, it has several permanent tubercles on its neck. These tubercles can appear yellow or black.The turtle’s limbs also have yellow spots, but usually in less quantity and difficult to distinguish. Its feet are wide and flat, resembling paddles. The males have longer and thicker tails than females.

1

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Amyda_cartilaginea/

2

http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/wpcontent/uploads/file/Accounts/crm_5_092_cartilaginea_v1_2016.pdf

Wikipedia Article Rough Draft

The Asiatic soft-shell turtle has a shell that grows from 70 to 80 cm.[1] The shell is soft and leathery in texture on adults and rougher on the young. It grows to weigh between 15 kg and 25 kg,[1] with unconfirmed reports claiming as heavy as 105 kg.[2] Its carapace is oval in shape, and on adults appears a soft olive to green-brown. On juveniles, the carapace is dark brown or black, and this color fades with age. Yellow dots, and the occasional black spot, can be found on the shell, but these too fade as the turtle gets older. Its plastron is sexually dimorphic, appearing white in males and gray in females.[2]

The head of the turtle is black or brown with yellow dots that can fuse together to look like elongated streaks. It’s nape region becomes white or gray when the turtle ages.[1] A trait that helps differentiate the Asiatic soft-shell turtle from other similar species is its long elongated snout. This is an adaptation that, coupled with its great flexibility, aids the turtle in breathing while it is has buried itself.[2] Increased gas exchange, a result of an adaptation known as "pharyngel breathing", allows for the Asiatic soft-shell turtle to remain submerged for extended periods of time.[1] In addition, it has several permanent tubercles on its neck.[1]These tubercles can appear yellow or black.The turtle’s limbs also have yellow spots, but usually in less quantity and difficult to distinguish. Its feet are wide and flat, resembling paddles. The males have longer and thicker tails than females.[1]

#1

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Amyda_cartilaginea/

#2

http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/wpcontent/uploads/file/Accounts/crm_5_092_cartilaginea_v1_2016.pdf

Outline

Physical Description

Amyda cartilaginea

Shell

Carapace (top)

-Oval in shape

-Adults have olive to greenish brown color, possibly with fading dark streaks

-Young individuals are brown or black, sometimes with olive tint

-Yellow dots, and occasional black spots

-Can have black spots, streaks, or star shaped marks arranged over midline

-Younger shell is more rough in texture

-Older shell soft and leathery in texture

-9 neural bones, with the first 2 bones fused

-8 pairs of costal, with the last pair unreduced

-Front edge of the shell has a series of bumps

-Average growth from 70–80 cm

-Maximum reported size of 83 cm

-Specimens have been reported up to 850 mm, but not with concrete evidence

-Broad and flat shell

-Adult spotting disappears almost entirely as the turtle ages, large black marks remain noticeable

-Spot color become less distinct with age because the background color darkens

-Rounded sides

Plastron (bottom)

-Sexual dimorphism

-White in males

-Gray in females

-May show cloudy dark areas

-5 callosities

-Long epiplastra in contact (or narrowly separated) from each other on the midline

Head

-Yellow spots dorsally and laterally that are usually reduced posteriorly

-Can have yellow dots on face, head, and neck

-Yellow dots can fuse and look like elongated streaks

-Spot color become less distinct with age

-Chin and throat become whitish or grayish with age

-Nape region is blackish, or brownish

-Sides of neck can have yellow

-Long snout elongated for breathing above the silt in which it buries itself

-Several permanent tubercles on neck

-Evolutionary loss of preneurial and dermal bones along the neck and spine allow for greater flexibility

-Structures lining the pharynx allow increased gas exchange from water pumped in and out of the pharynx, allowing for greatly increased submergence time

-Mouth is narrow and tubular.

Limbs

-Yellow spots, but usually fewer and not very distinct

-Wide, flat feet act like paddles to propel them through the water.

Tail

-Males have longer and thicker tales than females

Miscellaneous

-males (20–25 kg) reach larger size than females (15–20 kg)

-mass has been reported up to 65 kg

-large sized specimens are sold on the black market

References

http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/wp-content/uploads/file/Accounts/crm_5_092_cartilaginea_v1_2016.pdf

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Amyda_cartilaginea/

https://satucitafoundation.org/2013/05/12/asiatic-softshell-turtle/

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1) http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/amyda-cartilaginea-092/

2) http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/1181/0

3) https://bangkokherps.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/asian-softshell-turtle/

4) http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/field_guide/amyda_cartilaginea.htm

5) http://eol.org/pages/795946/overview

6) http://wbd.etibioinformatics.nl/bis/turtles.php?menuentry=soorten&id=210

7) http://www.gbif.org/species/2442561

8) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281221857_Asiatic_Soft-shell_Turtle_Amyda_cartilaginea_in_Indonesia_A_Review_of_its_Natural_History_and_Harvest

9) http://www.senckenberg.de/files/content/forschung/publikationen/vertebratezoology/vz64-2/fritz_2014_amyda_electronic_supplement_and_erratum.pdf

10) http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-blkray.htm

Pear Review

1. Is there a clear structure to the material, i.e., does the organization of the material make sense?

The structure of your outline looks good to me I think that it is well organized and easy for the readers to navigate through.

2. Is the information presented from a neutral point of view?

The information is presented in a very well mannered neutral point of view.

3. Are citations provided for all the information presented?

4. Are the sources reliable?

The sources seem to be very reliable but maybe you might want to use more than just to sources so that you have a variety of reliable sources backing up the information you are putting out on the turtle.

5. Are the citations complete and properly formatted?

The citations of your sources seem complete but one of them you couldn't just click on it I don't know if thats a problem or not.

6. Do you have any suggestions for improvement.

The only other suggestion I have is that you do use a lot of scientific terms that some regular readers may not understand so you may want to had in the regular name for the parts of the body also while you give the information. Over all it looks really well written to me. ~~~~