Chinese Softshell Turtle (Nanxi Giant Softshell)

Chinese Softshell Turtle (Nanxi Giant Softshell)

　　　　Product Name: Chinese Softshell Turtle (Nanxi Giant Softshell)

　　Place of Origin: Wenzhou

　　Product Features: Fierce temperament, sharp teeth

　　Product Description: This rare animal, once on the verge of extinction, can still be spotted in the Oujiang and Nanxi River areas. The Nanxi River, known for its beautiful scenery, is home to an ancient and rare reptile—the Chinese softshell turtle, also known as the giant softshell. The softshell turtle, also called the "green turtle" or "wart-covered turtle," was described in the Eastern Han Dynasty by Xu Shen in his work "Shuowen" as "among all shelled creatures, the softshell turtle is the largest, hence its character includes 'yuan,' which means 'large'." The softshell turtle belongs to the class Reptilia, order Testudines, and family Trionychidae. It is large in size, typically with a carapace length of 40–80 cm and a weight of 15–35 kg. The largest individuals can be as big as a small round table, weighing over 100 kg.

　　Softshell turtles and common turtles look similar and share similar living habits, so people often mistake young softshell turtles for turtles. In fact, although they belong to the same family, they are not of the same genus or species. Turtles have long, pointed snouts, while softshell turtles do not; their heads are round with wart-like bumps (hence the name "wart-covered turtle"). China’s understanding and study of softshell turtles date back a long time. As early as 2,000 years ago, the dictionary "Erya" contained descriptions of the turtle’s morphology. Softshell turtles are distributed across provinces such as Yunnan, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu in China, and are also found in regions like Myanmar and the Philippines. However, today this rare animal, once on the verge of extinction, can still be seen in the Oujiang and Nanxi River areas. According to records, there are currently about 200 softshell turtles in the Oujiang river system. The Oujiang River was once known as the "hometown of the softshell turtle," but due to rampant poaching and over-hunting, their population has dwindled. A few years ago, softshell turtles were frequently spotted in the Nanxi River and some were even caught. In April 1983, fishermen such as Shi Chengbo from Shangtang, Yongjia, successively caught a male and female softshell turtle in the Nanxi River, weighing 27 kg and 32 kg respectively. They were made into specimens and are now on display at the Provincial Museum. In June 1985, a farmer from Pudong, Shangtang Town, caught a 21 kg female softshell turtle in the Nanxi River, which is now kept in captivity at Wenzhou Zoo for visitors to observe.

　　The softshell turtle is fierce by nature and has sharp teeth, primarily feeding on snails, clams, fish, and shrimp. These turtles tend to live in groups and prefer inhabiting the bottom of water bodies. On hot summer nights, they like to crawl onto the shore to cool off; during thunderstorms, some may even climb up slopes to “watch” the rain. In winter, they hibernate buried in the yellow sand at the bottom of the river. The mating and egg-laying season for softshell turtles is between May and October. Each turtle typically lays more than ten to over a hundred eggs at a time. The eggs, about the size of duck eggs, are laid on sandy beaches, covered with sand, and hatch through exposure to sunlight. Baby turtles can crawl back into the water on their own. Male turtles reach maturity at around 5–6 years of age, when they weigh about 15 kg.

　　Product History: This rare animal, once on the verge of extinction, can still be spotted in the Oujiang and Nanxi River areas. The Nanxi River, known for its beautiful scenery, is home to an ancient and rare reptile—the Chinese softshell turtle, also known as the giant softshell. The softshell turtle, also called the "green turtle" or "wart-covered turtle," was described in the Eastern Han Dynasty by Xu Shen in his work "Shuowen" as "among all shelled creatures, the softshell turtle is the largest, hence its character includes 'yuan,' which means 'large'."