Burmese peacock softshell

The Burmese peacock softshell turtle (Nilssonia formosa) is a species of softshell turtle in the Trionychidae family. It is one of five species in the genus Nilssonia.^[4]

Burmese peacock softshell
Illustration by Philibert land Berjeau, 1878
Juvenile
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Genus:	Nilssonia
Species:	N. formosa
Binomial name
Nilssonia formosa (Gray, 1869)[1]
Synonyms[3]
Trionyx formosus Gray, 1869 Trionyx peguensis Gray, 1870 Nilssonia formosa Gray, 1872 Isola peguensis Gray, 1873 Trionyx grayii Theobald, 1875 Aspidonectes formosus Baur, 1893 Isola formosa Hay, 1904 Trionyx formosa Gadow, 1923 Amyda formosus Mell, 1929 Trionyx grayi Smith, 1931 (ex errore) Amyda formosa Mertens, Müller & Rust, 1934 Trionyx fomosus Gosławski & Hryniewicz, 1993 (ex errore) Trionyx formosanus Jenkins, 1995 (ex errore) Trionix formosus Richard, 1999

Geographical region

The Burmese peacock softshell is found in Myanmar and possibly Thailand.^[1] Also reported to be found in Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Nuclear data analyses of a Nilssonia formosa caught near Shuangbai, Yunnan, China by researchers in 2012 suggests the species crossed the watershed between the Salween and Mekong Rivers.^[5]