The Study of Mesopotamian soft-shell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) and its Habitat in Iran

"Rafetus euphraticus" is a medium- sized trionychid species thought to be most closely related to the Asian species "Rafetus swinhoe". It is found only in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and their tributaries of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. In Iran, it is found in the rivers of Khuzestan province. Mesopotamian soft-shell turtle is listed as “endangered” in the IUCN Red List of threatened species. Unfortunately, in Iran this turtle is not protected by low.In the course of this study (February 2002 _ June 2005), 14 visits were made to the habitats of the specie along the Karkhe, Dez and Karoon rivers and their tributaries in Khuzestan province. During these visits 20 specimens were observed and habitats characteristics of observation sites were recorded. Based on these variables, the habitats were ranked from 1(poor) to 4(excellent) which are reported in the paper. Also, 5 specimens were taken and their morph metric characteristic were measured and reported.According to the findings of the sudy, habitat destruction, pollution and poaching are the main threatening factors. To protect this species, more information is needed about biology, habitats, and the relationship between the local communities and the species.