The Geoemydidae (formerly known as Bataguridae) are one of the largest and most diverse
families
Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
in the order
Testudines
Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
(turtles), with about 70
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
. The family includes the
Eurasia
Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...
n pond and river turtles and
Neotropical
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
Definition
In biogeogra ...
wood turtles.
Characteristics
Geoemydidae are turtles of various sizes (from about in length) with often a high degree of
sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...
. They usually have webbed toes, and their
pelvic girdle
The hip bone (os coxae, innominate bone, pelvic bone or coxal bone) is a large flat bone, constricted in the center and expanded above and below. In some vertebrates (including humans before puberty) it is composed of three parts: the Ilium (bone) ...
s articulate with their
plastron
The turtle shell is a shield for the ventral and dorsal parts of turtles (the Order (biology), order Testudines), completely enclosing all the turtle's vital organs and in some cases even the head. It is constructed of modified bony elements such ...
s flexibly. Their necks are drawn back vertically. Their
carapace
A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the unde ...
s have 24 marginal
scute
A scute () or scutum (Latin: ''scutum''; plural: ''scuta'' "Scutum (shield), shield") is a bony external plate or scale overlaid with horn, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, and the feet of Bird anatomy#Scales, birds. The ter ...
s. 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
In tetrapods, cervical vertebrae (: vertebra) are the vertebrae of the neck, immediately below the skull. Truncal vertebrae (divided into thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in mammals) lie caudal (toward the tail) of cervical vertebrae. In sauropsid s ...
e, the lack of a hyomandibular branch of the
facial nerve
The facial nerve, also known as the seventh cranial nerve, cranial nerve VII, or simply CN VII, is a cranial nerve that emerges from the pons of the brainstem, controls the muscles of facial expression, and functions in the conveyance of ta ...
, and an
epipterygoid
The epipterygoid is a paired cranial bone present in many tetrapods. It acts as a vertical strut connecting the pterygoid bone of the palate to the outer surface of the braincase or the underside of the skull roof. The epipterygoid is an endochondr ...
bone in the skull.
Ecology
Geoemydidae live in tropics and subtropics of Asia, Europe and
North Africa
North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
; the only genus in Central and South America is ''
Rhinoclemmys
''Rhinoclemmys'' is a genus of turtles in the family Geoemydidae (formerly Bataguridae), the only genus in the subfamily Rhinoclemmydinae. Member species of the genus are commonly known as the Neotropical wood turtles and are the only geoemydids ...
''. Their habitats include freshwater ecosystems, coastal marine areas, and tropical forests. Most are
herbivorous
A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. These more broadly also encompass animals that eat n ...
, but some are
omnivorous
An omnivore () is an animal that regularly consumes significant quantities of both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize ...
or
carnivorous
A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose nutrition and energy requirements are met by consumption of animal tissues (mainly mu ...
species. In
mating
In biology, mating is the pairing of either opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for the purposes of sexual reproduction. ''Fertilization'' is the fusion of two gametes. '' Copulation'' is the union of the sex organs of two sexually repr ...
, the males are usually much more active than females. A relatively small number of
egg
An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the ...
s per
clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does th ...
is common, produced several times a year. Some species have a temperature-dependent sex determination system, while others possess different
sex chromosome
Sex chromosomes (also referred to as allosomes, heterotypical chromosome, gonosomes, heterochromosomes, or idiochromosomes) are chromosomes that
carry the genes that determine the sex of an individual. The human sex chromosomes are a typical pair ...
Pangshura smithii
The brown roofed turtle (''Pangshura smithii'') is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. The species is endemic to South Asia. Two subspecies are recognized.
Etymology
The specific name, ''smithii'', is in honor of Scottish zoologist A ...
'') exhibits ZZ/ZW sex determination.
About 70% of the extant species have been reported to be in
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
or vulnerable condition.
Systematics and evolution
Traditional systematics placed the geoemydids in the family
Emydidae
Emydidae (Latin (freshwater tortoise) + Ancient Greek (, "appearance, resemblance")) is a family of testudines (turtles) that includes close to 50 species in 10 genera. Members of this family are commonly called terrapins, pond turtles, or mar ...
as the subfamily Batagurinae. In the 1980s, the subfamily was elevated to the family status and renamed to Geoemydidae according to the
ICZN
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals. It is also informally known as the ICZN Code, for its formal author, t ...
rules.
Most
fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
and
molecular
A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions that satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, ...
data support their close relationship to the family
Testudinidae
Tortoises ( ) are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin for "tortoise"). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like ot ...
.
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
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
. 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
''Salamandra'' is a genus of six species of salamanders localized in central and southern Europe, Northern Africa, and western Asia.
List of species
References
External links
Salamandraat Fauna Europaea
*
Salamandraat Animal Diversity We ...
The following genera are classified under Geoemydidae.
Turtle Taxonomy Working Group The Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (TTWG) is an informal working group of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG). It is composed of a number of leading turtle taxonomists, with varying participation by individual partici ...
an 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
''Banhxeochelys'' is an extinct genus of Geoemydid turtles that lived during the middle to late Eocene of Vietnam. The type and only species is ''Banhxeochelys trani''. The genus name origin is from the pancake-like Vietnamese dish ''bánh xèo ...
Geoemydinae
The Geoemydinae are a subfamily of turtles consisting of 60 subspecies and 76 taxa.
These genera are placed here:
* '' Batagur'' (six species, including part of Kachuga)
* '' Chinemys'' (three species) (sometimes included in ''Mauremys'')
* '' ...
***Genus ''
Batagur
''Batagur'' is a genus of large turtles from South Asia, South and Southeast Asia. All members of the genus are seriously Threatened species, threatened. With a 2007 merger with members from two other genera,Praschag, Peter; Hundsdörfer, Anna K ...
'' (six species, including part of ''Kachuga'')
***Genus '' Cuora'', Asian box turtle (10 species) (including ''Cistoclemmys'')
***Genus ''
Cyclemys
''Cyclemys'' is a genus of freshwater turtles, commonly referred to as Asian leaf turtles, from the family Geoemydidae. The genus occurs throughout Southeast Asia, Southeast and South Asia, and currently contains seven species.
Asian leaf turt ...
'' (seven species)
***Genus ''
Geoclemys
''Geoclemys'' is a genus of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. The genus contains a single living species, the black pond turtle (''Geoclemys hamiltonii)''. Two fossil species are also known from the Miocene of Japan: '' Geoclemys matuuraensis'' ...
'' (
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...
genus)
***Genus ''
Geoemyda
''Geoemyda'' is a genus of freshwater turtles in the family Geoemydidae (formerly Bataguridae). It contains two species:Hardella'' (monotypic genus)
***Genus ''
Heosemys
''Heosemys'' is a genus of freshwater turtles ("terrapins" in British English) in the family Geoemydidae (formerly called Bataguridae). The genus ''Heosemys'' was split out of the related genus '' Geoemyda'' by McDowell in 1964.
Species
Four sp ...
'' (formerly in ''Geoemyda'')
***Genus ''
Leucocephalon
The Sulawesi forest turtle (''Leucocephalon yuwonoi'') is a critically endangered species of turtle in the Family (biology), family Geoemydidae. The species is monotypic within the genus ''Leucocephalon''. It is Endemism, endemic to Sulawesi in In ...
'' (formerly in ''Geoemyda'' and ''Heosemys'')
***Genus '' Malayemys'' (three species)
***Genus ''
Mauremys
''Mauremys'' is a genus of turtles in the family Geoemydidae (formerly called Bataguridae).
Species include:
* Japanese pond turtle, ''M. japonica''
* Yellow pond turtle, ''M. mutica''
**''M. mutica mutica''
**''M. mutica kami''
* Vietnamese p ...
'', pond turtles (including ''Annamemys'', ''Cathaiemys'' and ''Emmenia'')
***Genus ''
Melanochelys
''Melanochelys'' is a genus of turtles in the family Geoemydidae. Members are found in India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It i ...
'' (two species)
***Genus ''
Morenia
''Morenia'' is a genus of turtles in the family Geoemydidae found in India, Bangladesh, and Burma
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a coun ...
'' (two species)
***Genus ''
Notochelys
The Malayan flat-shelled turtle (''Notochelys platynota'') is a species of turtle found in Southeast Asia.
Distribution
It is found in the mainland Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore) and in part ...
Pangshura
''Pangshura'' is a genus of geoemydid turtles endemic to South Asia. Its member species were formerly in the obsolete genus ''Kachuga''. A fifth member, ''Pangshura tatrotia'', was described in 2010, but it is only known from Pliocene fossils.
S ...
'' (four species) (formerly in ''Kachuga'')
***Genus ''
Sacalia
''Sacalia'' is a genus of turtles in the family Geoemydidae (formerly Bataguridae). The genus was erected by John Edward Gray in 1870.
The Sacalia is native to Southereastern China, Laos, and Vietnam. It was declared an endangered turtle species ...
'', "eyed" turtles
***Genus ''
Siebenrockiella
''Siebenrockiella'' is a small genus of black marsh turtles. It used to be monotypic but now has two species with the addition of the Philippine forest turtle (moved from the genus '' Heosemys''). The genus was originally erected in 1869 by John ...
'' (two species, one subgenus ''Panyaenemys'', formerly under ''Heosemys'')
***Genus ''
Vijayachelys
The Cochin forest cane turtle (''Vijayachelys silvatica''), also known as Kavalai forest turtle, forest cane turtle or simply cane turtle, is a rare turtle from the Western Ghats of India. Described in 1912, its type locality (biology), type loc ...
'', cane turtle (formerly in ''Geoemyda'' and ''Heosemys'')
**Subfamily Rhinoclemmydinae
***Genus ''
Rhinoclemmys
''Rhinoclemmys'' is a genus of turtles in the family Geoemydidae (formerly Bataguridae), the only genus in the subfamily Rhinoclemmydinae. Member species of the genus are commonly known as the Neotropical wood turtles and are the only geoemydids ...
'', Neotropical wood turtles
Conservation
As of the early 2013, six species of the family Geoemydidae are on the
CITES
CITES (shorter acronym for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of inte ...
Appendix II
CITES (shorter acronym for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of inte ...
.
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