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Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
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Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
| Assam roofed turtle | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Family: | Geoemydidae |
| Genus: | Pangshura |
| Species: | P. sylhetensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pangshura sylhetensis Jerdon, 1870
| |
| Synonyms[3] | |
| |
The Assam roofed turtle or Sylhet roofed turtle (Pangshura sylhetensis) is a turtle species of the family Geoemydidae found in the Brahmaputra-Meghna drainage in (Assam), Terai Arc Landscape region of India and parts of eastern Bangladesh (Sylhet). It was formerly placed in the genus Batagur and the defunct genus Kachuga.
The species has a triangular and elevated carapace with a prominent spiked keel and 26 strongly serrated marginal plates.[4] The carapace is olive brown, with a lighter (yellowish to beige) keel. The head is small and has a weakly hooked upper jaw; a narrow pink stripe runs from the back of each eye to the middle of the back of the head. Adults may attain a maximum length of 20.5 cm,[5] although body sizes of 16 cm are more common.[6][5]
The species' local names include dura kaso (দূৰা কাছ) in Assamese, śiloṭi xaṭua (ꠍꠤꠟꠐꠤ ꠇꠣꠐꠥꠀ) in Sylheti, kãṭa kachim (কাঁটা কাছিম) in Bengali.[6]
The species occurs in the north-eastern and south-eastern parts of Bangladesh (Sylhet), in India (Assam) and possibly in Bhutan. It is found in terrestrial and freshwater habitats in areas with upland tropical moist forest, and fast-flowing streams and perhaps also small rivers. Oxbow lakes may also be inhabited, but shell morphology suggests an adaptation to fast-flowing waters.[6]
The species is amphibious. In the cooler months of the dry season, from December to February, it basks during most of the day; individuals living in cooler hill streams may do so year round. The turtle is shy and never basks on river banks, but only on emergent logs or rocks. At the slightest disturbance, it will dive quickly to the middle of the river, hiding between rocks. Juveniles often flee into accumulations of dead leaves for camouflage and remain motionless.[6]
Assam roofed turtles nest between late October and February, corresponding with the cool, dry season, and produce clutches of 6 to 12 eggs. Hatchlings appear mainly between March and April, at the beginning of the southeast monsoons.[6] The eggs need to undergo a diapause at cooler temperatures lasting between 6 and 8 weeks in order to hatch successfully.[4]
The Assam roofed turtle is a rare species known only from a few individuals; it is believed to have one of the narrowest distributions of any south Asian geoemydid. It is exploited for its meat and eggs for local consumption and collected for the pet trade, especially in Asia where this turtle fetches high prices as pets. Habitat destruction by logging and incidental capture in fishing gear are also thought to present threats. The species is currently classified as critically endangered by the IUCN.[1]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Family Geoemydidae | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Genera |
|  | ||
| †Banhxeochelys | ||||
| Batagur | ||||
| Cuora | ||||
| Cyclemys | ||||
| †Echmatemys | ||||
| Geoclemys | ||||
| Geoemyda | ||||
| Hardella | ||||
| Heosemys | ||||
| Leucocephalon | ||||
| Malayemys | ||||
| Mauremys | ||||
| Melanochelys | ||||
| Morenia | ||||
| Notochelys | ||||
| Orlitia | ||||
| Pangshura | ||||
| Rhinoclemmys | ||||
| Sacalia | ||||
| Siebenrockiella | ||||
| Vijayachelys | ||||
Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=Extinct. | ||||
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
The Assam roofed turtle or Sylhet roofed turtle (Pangshura sylhetensis) is a turtle species of the family Geoemydidae found in the Brahmaputra-Meghna drainage in (Assam), Terai Arc Landscape region of India and parts of eastern Bangladesh (Sylhet). It was formerly placed in the genus Batagur and the defunct genus Kachuga.
Manas National Park is a national park, Project Tiger reserve, and an elephant reserve in Assam, India. Located in the Himalayan foothills, it borders the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog. It also hosts the only known population of pygmy hogs in the world. Manas is also famous for its population of the wild water buffalo. Because of its exceptional biodiversity, scenery, and variety of habitats, Manas National Park is a biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kachuga (roofed turtles) is an obsolete genus formerly used for several species of Asian turtles, now placed in Batagur and Pangshura: Batagur dhongoka – three-striped roofed turtle Batagur kachuga – red-crowned roofed turtle Batagur trivittata – Burmese roofed turtle Pangshura smithii – brown roofed turtle Pangshura sylhetensis – Assam roofed turtle Pangshura tecta – Indian roofed turtle Pangshura tentoria – Indian tent turtle
About 42 species of reptiles have been reported from the Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India. These include the endangered gharial and the rare Assam roofed turtle. Two of the largest snakes in the world - the reticulated python and the rock python, as well as the longest venomous snake in the world - the king cobra are common inside the park. The park also contains Bengal monitor and water monitor populations. The park is home to the rare monocled cobra, and three of the Big Four - Indian cobra, Russell's viper, and common krait. In all, Kaziranga is home to 15 species of turtles, including the endemic Assam roofed turtle, and to one species of tortoise - the brown tortoise. A regional lizard species is also found in Kaziranga - the Assam garden lizard.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →The Greenwood District.