Scientific identifier for Tortoise tool: Le Loi or Vietnam?

While the DNA sample of Ho Guom Turtle has not been published, there are many different opinions on how to name Ho Guom Turtle.

Since 2000, there have been many research projects, naming Ho Guom Turtle. The archaeological archeology magazine in April 2000 announced Ho Guom Turtle Tool with the name Rafetus leloi (Turtle Le Loi). This is the largest freshwater turtle in the world and the fifth turtle in Vietnam. At the same time it is the 23rd turtle in the world.

The person who has such research and name is Associate Professor, Dr. Ha Dinh Duc, with the intention to use the name Le Loi as a nomenclature.

However, the name is not recognized by the world community. They said that Ho Guom Turtle belongs to the Rafetus swinhoei category of Truong Giang and Hong Ha (Song Hong) basins.

Mr. Tim McComarck, Director of Asian Turtle Conservation Program (ATP) cited, there are only 4 individuals in Ho Guom Turtle in the world: two children in Chinese zoo and two in Vietnam, according to international names. is Rafetus swinhoei.

Vietnam Red Book (Natural Science Publishing House, Hanoi 2000, page 232) named Turtle Lake Sword is Pelochelys cantoris belonging to the family of three, looks like a tortoise, but very big .

There are many people who think that it should not be called a turtle, but a prize . Actually in Chinese, people call this son Ban Tat. The ancients used to call it in poetry as the First Beginning (the first three or three). Therefore, when switching back to Chinese, this type of soft shelled shelled turtle (Kiet, Ngoan) is not classified in the four sacred species of Long, Lan, Quy and Phung because it is not a nomad. confess.

This turtle lived in Truong Giang and Hong Ha (Red River) basins on the Chinese side and in Vietnam. When translated into English, it is called Shanghai tortoise because in the past, it was raised in weightlifting ponds in Suzhou, Hangzhou, which left its mark in history. It is because of the English called the Shanghai tortoise, or Chinese tortoise.

Research paper of Professor Le Tran Binh (Institute of Biotechnology) and colleagues announced last year to describe again, Ho Guom Turtle has soft shell, prison head, huge size (about 2m long). He has sharp claws, with a little white on his head. This cut is about 4cm long and until now through thousands of different photos, always see that birthmark. This proves that there is only one surviving item in Ho Guom.

According to Mr. Binh, by analyzing the genetic pattern of the Turtle specimen in Ngoc Son temple and Hung Ky temple and some species found in northern Vietnam, there is no gene pattern like the Shanghai prize.

The research paper of Professor Binh and his colleagues concludes that Ho Guom Turtle and Tortoise turtle Dong Mo are still alive today, or turtles have been recorded in other lagoon areas in Northern Vietnam. It has been recorded as a new species, practically found only in Vietnam and so it should be called: giant freshwater soft-shell turtle. Other calls such as turtles, big turtles . there is confusion between Chinese, Nom and among localities, leading to misunderstandings.

Professor Binh suggested naming Vietnam's big soft-shell turtle Rafetus vietnamensis .