The Zulia toad-headed sideneck (''Mesoclemmys zuliae''), also known
commonly as the Zulia toad-headed turtle, is a
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), ...
of
turtle
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 ...
in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Chelidae
Chelidae is one of three living families of the turtle suborder Pleurodira, and are commonly called Austro-South American side-neck turtles. The family is distributed in Australia, New Guinea, parts of Indonesia, and throughout most of South Amer ...
. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
.
Etymology
The
specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''zuliae'', refers to the Venezuelan state of
Zulia
Zulia State (, ; Wayuu: ''Mma’ipakat Suuria'') is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. As of the 2011 census, it has a population of 3,704,404, the largest population among Venezuela's states. It is also one of t ...
.
Geographic range
The
type locality of ''M. zuliae'' is Cano Madre Vieja near El Guayabo, Distrito Colón, Zulia, Venezuela.
''Mesoclemmys zuliae''
at the Reptile Database
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
of ''M. zuliae'' is freshwater inland bodies of water.
References
Further reading
* Bour R, Zaher H (2005). "A new species of ''Mesoclemmys'', from the open formations of northeastern Brazil (Chelonii, Chelidae)". ''Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo'' 45 (24): 295–311. (''Mesoclemmys zuliae'', new combination). (in English, with an abstract in Portuguese).
* Rojas-Runjaic FJM, Rivas G., McCord WP & Molina C (2008). Cabezón del Zulia, ''Mesoclemmys zuliae''. Pp. 165. In: & (Eds.). Libro Rojo de la Fauna Venezolana. Tercera Edición. Provita – Shell Venezuela, S. A., Caracas, Venezuela
Complete book (PDF).
* Rojas-Runjaic FJM (2009). "Mesoclemmys zuliae – ''Die geheimnisvolle Krötenkopfschildkröte aus dem Süden des Maracaibo-Sees'' ". ''Reptilia, Münster'' 14 (80): 34–39. (in German).
* Rojas-Runjaic FJM & Ferrer A. (2009). Evaluación preliminar del estatus poblacional del Cabezón del Zulia (''Batrachemys zuliae'') en la región sur del Lago de Maracaibo, estado Zulia. Pp 145. In: Giraldo D, Rojas-Suárez, F & Romero V (eds.). Una Mano a la Naturaleza, Conservando las especies amenazadas venezolanas. Provita y Shell, S. A. Caracas, Venezuela.
* Vargas-Ramírez M, Michaels J, Castaño-Mora OV, Cárdenas-Arevalo G (2012). "Weak genetic divergence between the two South American toad-headed turtles ''Mesoclemmys dahli'' and ''M. zuliae'' (Testudines: Pleurodira: Chelidae)". ''Amphibia-Reptilia'' 33 (3/4): 373–385.
* Rojas-Runjaic FJM, Rivas G, McCord WP & Molina C. (2015). Cabezón del Zulia, ''Mesoclemmys zuliae''. In: Rodríguez JP, García-Rawlins A & Rojas-Suárez F (eds.) Libro Rojo de la Fauna Venezolana. Cuarta edición. Provita y Fundación Empresas Polar, Caracas, Venezuela.
zuliae
Turtles of South America
Reptiles of Venezuela
Endemic fauna of Venezuela
Reptiles described in 1984
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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