geoemydidae

The Geoemydidae (formerly known as Bataguridae) are one of the largest and most diverse families in the order Testudines (turtles), with about 70

species

. The family includes the

Eurasia

n pond and river turtles and Neotropical wood turtles.

Characteristics

Geoemydidae are turtles of various sizes (from about in length) with often a high degree of sexual dimorphism. They usually have webbed toes, and their pelvic girdles articulate with their

plastron

s flexibly. Their necks are drawn back vertically. Their carapaces have 24 marginal scutes. The plastron is composed of 12 scutes and has no mesoplastron; the pectoral and abdominal scutes contact the marginal scutes.

Some other features include a single articulation between the fifth and sixth

cervical vertebra

e, the lack of a hyomandibular branch of the

facial nerve

, and an epipterygoid bone in the skull.

Ecology

Geoemydidae live in tropics and subtropics of Asia, Europe and

North Africa

, the only genus in

Central

and South America is ''Rhinoclemmys''. Their habitats include freshwater ecosystems, coastal marine areas, and tropical forests. Most are herbivorous, but some are omnivorous or carnivorous species. In

mating

, the males are usually much more active than females. A relatively small number of eggs per clutch is common, produced several times a year. Some species have a temperature-dependent sex determination system, while others possess different sex chromosomes; one known species ( ''Siebenrockiella crassicolis'') exhibits XX/XY sex determination, while another species (''Pangshura smithii'') exhibits ZZ/ZW sex determination.

About 70% of the extant species have been reported to be in endangered or vulnerable condition.

Systematics and evolution

Traditional systematics placed the geoemydids in the family

Emydidae

as the subfamily Batagurinae. In the 1980s, the subfamily was elevated to the family status and renamed to Geoemydidae according to the ICZN rules.

Most

fossil

and molecular data support their close relationship to the family Testudinidae.

The intrafamilial taxonomy is not well established yet, due to the large number and diversity of species. The family is usually divided into two subfamilies and 19 genera. Several species are known to give viable hybrids, which makes the systematics even more complicated. (2005): On the hybridisation between two distantly related Asian turtles (Testudines: ''Sacalia'' × ''Mauremys''). ''Salamandra'' 41: 21-26
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Subfamilies and genera

The following genera are classified under Geoemydidae.Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [van Dijk , P.P., Iverson, J.B., Shaffer, H.B., Bour, R., and Rhodin, A.G.J.]. 2012. Turtles of the World, 2012 update: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5, pp. 000.243–000.328, doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v5.2012,

*Family Geoemydidae
**Genus ''Banhxeochelys''
**Genus ''Duboisemys''
**Subfamily Geoemydinae
***Genus ''Batagur'' (six species, including part of ''Kachuga'')
***Genus ''Cuora'', Asian box turtle (10 species) (including ''Cistoclemmys'')
***Genus ''Cyclemys'' (seven species)
***Genus ''Geoclemys'' (monotypic genus)
***Genus ''Geoemyda'' (two species)
***Genus ''Hardella'' (monotypic genus)
***Genus ''Heosemys'' (formerly in ''Geoemyda'')
***Genus ''Leucocephalon'' (formerly in ''Geoemyda'' and ''Heosemys'')
***Genus ''Malayemys'' (three species)
***Genus ''Mauremys'', pond turtles (including ''Annamemys'', ''Cathaiemys'' and ''Emmenia'')
***Genus ''Melanochelys'' (two species)
***Genus ''Morenia'' (two species)
***Genus ''Notochelys'' (monotypic genus)
***Genus ''Orlitia'' (monotypic genus)
***Genus ''Pangshura'' (four species) (formerly in ''Kachuga'')
***Genus ''Sacalia'', "eyed" turtles
***Genus ''Siebenrockiella'' (two species, one subgenus ''Panyaenemys'', formerly under ''Heosemys'')
***Genus ''Vijayachelys'', cane turtle (formerly in ''Geoemyda'' and ''Heosemys'')
**Subfamily Rhinoclemmys, Rhinoclemmydinae
***Genus ''Rhinoclemmys'', Neotropical wood turtles

Conservation

As of the early 2013, six species of the family Geoemydidae are on the CITES CITES Appendix I, Appendix I, and 30 more are on the treaty's CITES Appendix II, Appendix II.
A joint China-US proposal for a March 2013 CITES participants' conference seeks to add 15 more Geoemydidae species to the convention's Appendix II.
Dinny McMahon
China Backs Tortoise in Race to Protect Endangered Species
2013-03-04

References

External links

*

Geoemydidae
(all species) a
The Reptile Database

{{Taxonbar , from=Q446640

Geoemydidae,
Turtle families
Taxa named by William Theobald