Australian snake neck turtles
| Australian snake neck turtles | ||||||||||||
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Smooth-backed snake-necked turtle ( Chelodina longicollis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chelodina | ||||||||||||
| Fitzinger , 1826 |
The Australian snake neck turtle ( Chelodina ), also known as the Australian neck turtle , is a genus of semi-aquatic turtles within the snake neck turtle family . The turtles of this genus are small to medium-sized and have oval-shaped carapaces . The neck is longer than the carapace and the head comes close together at the muzzle. Her home is New Guinea, Australia and some surrounding islands. Five recent and two fossil taxa that were originally in the genus Chelodina were merged into the new genus Macrochelodina in 1985transferred. They are mainly characterized by a wider head and a slightly longer neck.
The Australian snake neck turtles are very popular terrarium animals. Seven species are already listed in the IUCN Red List , two of which are endangered and one ( Chelodina mccordi ) is so rare that it has been classified by traders as "commercially extinct" and therefore the legal trade in this species is prohibited is.
Two peculiarities are to be emphasized with this genus: In case of danger they do not pull their head back vertically, but place it laterally in a crease under the armor. In the case of the north Australian snake-necked turtle, the eggs are deposited in the mud underwater. The breeding period (incubation period) does not begin until the mud hole has dried up.
species
In the case of the subspecies Chelodina mccordi timorensis , it is discussed whether it is a separate species. The assignment of the seven-rock snake-necked tortoise ( C. seven rocki ) Werner , 1901 to Chelodina or Macrochelodina is controversial. In addition, their division into other species Chelodina rugosa and Chelodina oblonga is discussed .
Depending on whether the genera Macrochelodina and Macrodiremys are differentiated from Chelodina or are considered sub-genera, the genus has 8 to 15 recent species:
- Chelodina burrungandjii Thomson, Kennett & Georges , 2000 (synonym Macrochelodina burrungandjii )
- Chelodina canni McCord & Thomson , 2002
- Narrow-breasted snake-necked turtle ( Chelodina colliei Gray , 1856, Syn . : Macrodiremys colliei )
- Giant snake neck turtle ( Chelodina expansa Gray , 1857, Syn .: Macrochelodina expansa )
- Chelodina gunaleni McCord & Joseph-Ouni , 2007
- Kuchling's snake neck turtle ( Chelodina kuchlingi Cann , 1997, Syn .: Macrochelodina kuchlingi )
- Smooth-backed snake-necked turtle ( Chelodina longicollis ( Shaw , 1794))
- McCord's snake neck turtle ( Chelodina mccordi Rhodin , 1994)
- New Guinea snake-necked turtle ( Chelodina novaeguineae Boulenger , 1888)
- Seven-rock snake-necked turtle ( Chelodina oblonga Gray , 1841, Syn .: Macrochelodina oblonga )
- Spotted snake neck turtle ( Chelodina parkeri Rhodin & Mittermeier , 1976, Syn .: Macrochelodina parkeri )
- Pritchard's snake neck turtle ( Chelodina pritchardi Rhodin , 1994)
- Reimann snake neck turtle ( Chelodina reimanni Philippen & Grossmann , 1990)
- Steindachner's snake necked turtle or Western Australian snake necked turtle ( Chelodina steindachneri Siebenrock , 1914)
- Chelodina walloyarrina ( McCord & Joseph-Ouni , 2007, Syn .: Macrochelodina walloyarrina )
Web links
- Taxonomic history of the genus Chelodina (engl.)
- Turtle of the World> Species Chelodina (Snake-necked turtles)
- Eocene chelid turtles from Redbank Plains, Southeast Queensland, Australia (PDF file; 662 kB)
- Chelodina in The Reptile Database
Individual evidence
- ↑ TURTLE TAXONOMY WORKING GROUP: An Annotated List of Modern Turtle Terminal Taxa with Comments on Areas of Taxonomic Instability and Recent Change , 2008