Song, 1984
Pan's box turtle
Recognition
This species has an elongated, flattened carapace (to 16 cm) which is widest behind the center, and has a low medial keel, a slightly serrated posterior rim (there is a small medial notch), and all marginals flared. Vertebrals are wider than long. Vertebral 1 is largest and very flared anteriorly (it reaches the seam separating marginals 1-2 or marginal 2); vertebral 5 is posteriorly flared. The cervical is long and narrow. Growth annuli are present on the scutes. The carapace is olive brown with a yellow rim, black keel, and the seams outlined in dark brown or black. Undersides of marginals are yellow with a black, posteriorly directed wedge at each seam, and some with narrow, black radiating lines. The well-developed plastron is yellow with a broad, black, seam-following pattern which becomes more extensive with age (size). A black bar crosses the bridge. The anterior plastral lobe is truncated; the posterior lobe has the anal scutes tapering toward the midline and a shallow anal notch. The plastral formula is: an > abd > pect > gul > fem > hum in most, but variation occurs; the interanal seam is complete. The head is narrow with a slightly projecting snout and a slightly hooked upper jaw. It is olive (lighter dorsally, darker laterally) with a yellowish green postorbital stripe and a second yellowish green stripe extending obliquely downward from the upper jaw to below the tympanum. Both stripes have black borders, and a faint, thin black line may circle the tympanum. The iris is green, the jaws and chin yellow. The neck is olive dorsally and laterally, yellowish green ventrally; several faint, narrow, yellow lateral stripes are present. Forelimbs have large scales; the outer surface is olive, inner surface and sockets cream to whitish green. Hindlimbs have smaller scales, colored as forelimbs. The tail is olive dorsally with two dark-bordered stripes, the venter yellow with an olive tip.
Males are smaller (11.3 cm) with concave plastra, longer, thicker tails, anal vents beyond the carapacial rim, and pointed snouts. Females are more domed with flat plastra, shorter tails, anal vents beneath the carapacial rim, and rounded snouts.
Distribution
Cuora pani has been collected only in Shaanxi and Yunnan provinces, China. The Yunnan population was originally described as Cuora chriskarannarum by Ernst and McCord (1987) and may represent a separate subspecies from the nominate population in Shaanxi Province.
IUCN Red List Status (1996)
Data deficient.