BATAGUR, 341 



Batagur, Gray. 



Thorax and sternum united into a solid case ; shell depressed ster- 

 num flat in both sexes ; pectorals sub-quadrangular ; toes broadly 

 webbed, 5 before, 4 behind. Habits, aquatic. Food, vegetable. 



Batagur dhongoka, B. Ham.; Gray, III. Ind. Zool. 11 tab.; id. 

 Shield, RepL p. 36, tab. 18 and 36; Guntlier, Rept. Br. Ind. p. 42; 

 Theob. Cat. Rep. Br. Ind. p. 22. — The Dhongoka. 



Nuchal plate triangular, broadest behind ; vertebrals keeled, the 

 keel terminating on the second and third in a prominent knob ; first 

 and second vertebrals longer than broad, also the caudal plates. Gulars 

 as broad as long, the hind margins of the post-gulars form a straight 

 line. Anal quadrangular. Colour dark grey ; a yellow line from the 

 nostril to the tympanum. A black vertebral line and two lateral ones. 



Length. — 18 to 20 inches. 



Hah. — The Indus (Sind) the Ganges and Punjab rivers; also N. W. 

 Provinces at Futtehgur and Deccan in Bengal. Theobald gives Central 

 India, Assam and Nepaul. 



Batagur baska, Gray, 8h. Rept., p. 35, tab. 16 ; Gun.th. Rept. Br. 

 Ind., p. 37, pi. iii., fig. B.B. ; Miirr. Zool., Sfc. Sind, p. 255. Tetraonyx 

 baska, Budi. Ham. M88. Gray, III. Ind. Zool.; Theoh. Rept. Br. 

 Ind., p. 25; Bum. and Bih. Erpet. gen. ii., p. 341. — The Batagde. 



Toes four on all feet. Anterior half of shell elevated and convex, 

 posterior much depressed and flattened ; the greatest width behind its 

 middle; sternum truncated in front. Carapace smooth and polished. 

 Nuchal plate sub-quadrangular, four anterior vertebrals sub-quadran- 

 gular, nearly as broad as long ; the fifth hexagonal. Caudal plates 

 square, separated by a suture, without notch behind. Head covered 

 with undivided skin ; snout rather pointed ; nose turned upwards. 

 Upper jaw denticulated. Colour uniform brown. Grows fi'om 20 to 

 24 inches. 



Hah. — The river Indus ; Ganges, Irawaddy, Hooghly, Pegu and 

 Tenasserim. Considered wholesome food. 



Batagur thurgi, Gray, Sup. Cat. Sh. Rep. Br. Mus., p. 58 ; 

 Mnrr. Zool., 8j-c., Sind, p. 255. Cachuga oldhami, Gray, Pro. Zoo. Soc. 

 1869, p. 200. Hardella indi, Sup. Cat. S. R., p. 58; Theob. Rep. Br. 

 Ind., p. 23. 



Nuchal plate triangular, broadish posteriorly, shell depressed, with 

 an interrupted median ridge. No costal ridge. Head covered with 

 undivided skin. Upper jaw strongly denticulated with a pair of tooth- 

 like prominences in front. Tail shorter than head. Feet broadly 

 webbed. Fore arm with transverse series of broad short imbricate scales. 

 Toes 5 before, 4 behind. Colour of shell more or less deep brown, or 

 black, the plates of the lower side edged with yellow. A broad yellow 

 band runs from the nostrils over the eyebrows along the side of the 

 neck ; a short yellow band anteriorly on each side of the upper jaw. 

 Feet olive, spotted with yellow. Attains to 22 inches. 



