Elseya
Encyclopedia
The Australian Snapping Turtles, Elseya Gray 1867, are a large genus
of side-necked turtle
s in the family
Chelidae
found in river systems in northern and north eastern Australia
and throughout the river systems of New Guinea. They are identified by the presence of alveolar ridges on the triturating surfaces of the mouth and the presence of a complex bridge strut.
The Australian Snapping Turtles are largely herbivorous with specialized mouth structures for eating fruits, however they will eat animal products if opportunity arises. The various species can be found in large numbers where they are still abundant, e.g. Northern Territory
of Australia
, however a number of the populations have become increasingly rare and some are now listed as endangered.
Order Testudines Linnaeus, 1758
Suborder Pleurodira Cope, 1864
Family Chelidae Gray, 1831
Subfamily Chelodininae Georges et al., 1998
Elseya Gray, 1867
Elseya Gray, J.E. (1867). Type species Chelymys dentata Gray, 1863 by subsequent designation, Lindholm, W.A., (1929).
Euchelymys(part)] Gray, J.E. (1871). Type species Euchelymys sulcifera Gray, 1871 by subsequent designation, Cogger, H.G., et al. 1983. Synonymy based on Euchelymys spinosa Gray, 1871 (=Elseya latisternum), one of two species originally included in genus.
Pelocomastes de Vis 1897:6-7. Type species Pelocomastes ampla de Vis 1897, by subsequent designation, Thomson, S.A. 2000.
Elseya dentata (Gray 1863), by subsequent designation (Lindholme, 1929).
Australasian Snapping Turtles
Gray (1867) in honour of Dr J.R. Elsey proposed the generic name, Surgeon-Naturalist on the Gregory Expedition that traversed northern Australia from the Victoria River to Moreton Bay in 1855-56.
The genus was originally described by John Edward Gray
in 1867 with the type species being set as Elseya dentata
. The fossil genus Pelocomastes was later synonynised with this genus. Following the recent dividing of this genus into 2 the latisternum group has been moved to the new genus Myuchelys
. The remaining species of this genus are as follows.
Elseya nadibajagu and Elseya uberima are prehistoric species known only from fossil
s. E. lavarackorum was initially believed also to be a fossil taxon
, but later discovered to be still extant.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of side-necked turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Chelidae
Chelidae
The Chelidae are one of the three living families of the turtle suborder Pleurodira and are commonly called the Austro-South American Side Neck turtles. The Family is distributed in Australia, New Guinea, parts of Indonesia and throughout most of South America. It is a large family of turtles with...
found in river systems in northern and north eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and throughout the river systems of New Guinea. They are identified by the presence of alveolar ridges on the triturating surfaces of the mouth and the presence of a complex bridge strut.
The Australian Snapping Turtles are largely herbivorous with specialized mouth structures for eating fruits, however they will eat animal products if opportunity arises. The various species can be found in large numbers where they are still abundant, e.g. Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, however a number of the populations have become increasingly rare and some are now listed as endangered.
Systematics
Elseya Gray, 1867Order Testudines Linnaeus, 1758
Suborder Pleurodira Cope, 1864
Family Chelidae Gray, 1831
Subfamily Chelodininae Georges et al., 1998
- Synonymy
Elseya Gray, 1867
Elseya Gray, J.E. (1867). Type species Chelymys dentata Gray, 1863 by subsequent designation, Lindholm, W.A., (1929).
Euchelymys(part)] Gray, J.E. (1871). Type species Euchelymys sulcifera Gray, 1871 by subsequent designation, Cogger, H.G., et al. 1983. Synonymy based on Euchelymys spinosa Gray, 1871 (=Elseya latisternum), one of two species originally included in genus.
Pelocomastes de Vis 1897:6-7. Type species Pelocomastes ampla de Vis 1897, by subsequent designation, Thomson, S.A. 2000.
- Type species
Elseya dentata (Gray 1863), by subsequent designation (Lindholme, 1929).
- Vernacular name
Australasian Snapping Turtles
- Etymology
Gray (1867) in honour of Dr J.R. Elsey proposed the generic name, Surgeon-Naturalist on the Gregory Expedition that traversed northern Australia from the Victoria River to Moreton Bay in 1855-56.
The genus was originally described by John Edward Gray
John Edward Gray
John Edward Gray, FRS was a British zoologist. He was the elder brother of George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray ....
in 1867 with the type species being set as Elseya dentata
Elseya dentata
The Northern Snapping Turtle is a large aquatic species found throughout many rivers in northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory....
. The fossil genus Pelocomastes was later synonynised with this genus. Following the recent dividing of this genus into 2 the latisternum group has been moved to the new genus Myuchelys
Myuchelys
The Australian Saw Shelled Turtles, Myuchelys, are a genus of turtles in the family Chelidae. They inhabit the headwaters and tributaries of rivers within their range and this led to the name Myuchelys, which is formed from the Aboriginal words Myuna meaning high water and chelys meaning turtle...
. The remaining species of this genus are as follows.
- Northern Snapping Turtle, Elseya dentataElseya dentataThe Northern Snapping Turtle is a large aquatic species found throughout many rivers in northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory....
Gray, 1863 - Branderhorst's Snapping Turtle, Elseya branderhorstiiElseya branderhorstiiElseya branderhorstii is a species of turtle in the Chelidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.-Further reading:* Asian Turtle Trade Working Group 2000. . Downloaded on 29 July 2007....
Ouwens, 1914 - Irwin's turtle, Elseya irwini Cann, 1997
- Gulf Snapping Turtle, Elseya lavarackorumGulf Snapping TurtleThe Gulf snapping turtle is a species of freshwater turtle in the Chelidae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Taxonomy:...
White & Archer, 1994 - see also Thomson, White & Georges 1997 - White Throated Snapping Turtle, Elseya albagulaElseya albagulaThe White Throated Snapping Turtle is one of the largest species of Chelid Turtles in the world growing to approximately 45 cm carapace length. The species is endemic to south-eastern Queensland, Australia found in the Burnett, Mary and Fitzroy River Drainages...
Thomson, Georges & Limpus, 2006 - †Elseya nadibajaguElseya nadibajaguElseya nadibajagu is a Pliocene species of Australian snapping turtle, described from the Bluff Downs region of Queensland, Australia....
Thomson & Mackness, 1999 - †Elseya uberima De Vis, 1897
Elseya nadibajagu and Elseya uberima are prehistoric species known only from fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s. E. lavarackorum was initially believed also to be a fossil taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
, but later discovered to be still extant.