The Cuatro Ciénegas softshell (''Apalone spinifera atra''), also called the black spiny softshell, is a

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of the

spiny softshell turtle The spiny softshell turtle (''Apalone spinifera'') is a species of softshell turtle, one of the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. Both the common name, spiny softshell, and the Specific name (zoology), specific name, ''spinifer ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Trionychidae Trionychidae is a family of turtles, commonly known as softshell turtles or simply softshells. The family was described by Leopold Fitzinger in 1826. Softshells include some of the world's largest freshwater turtles, though many can adapt to li ...

. It is found only in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin in the Mexican state of

Coahuila Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza, is one of the 31 states of Mexico. The largest city and State Capital is the city of Saltillo; the second largest is Torreón and the thi ...

and it is considered

critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...

by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

. The subspecies, along with its parent species, was formerly classified in the

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Trionyx''.

References

Bibliography

* * * Webb RG, Legler JM (1960). "A New Softshell Turtle (Genus ''Trionyx'') from Coahuila, Mexico". ''Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull.'' 40 (2): 21–30. (''Trionyx ater'', new species).

External links

*
2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. iucnredlist.org
Retrieved 9 July 2007.

Apalone Endemic reptiles of Mexico Turtles of North America Cuatrociénegas Municipality Natural history of Coahuila Critically endangered biota of Mexico Critically endangered fauna of North America Reptiles described in 1960 Taxa named by Robert G. Webb Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{turtle-stub