''Phrynops tuberosus'',
commonly known as the Cotinga River toadhead turtle, is a large
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
side-necked turtle 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
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
.
Taxonomy
In the past, ''Phrynops tuberosus'' has been considered a
subspecies
In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
of ''
Phrynops geoffroanus
''Phrynops geoffroanus'', also Common name, commonly known as Geoffroy's side-necked turtle and Geoffroy's toadhead turtle, is a species of large Pleurodira, side-necked turtle in the Family (biology), family Chelidae. The species is Endemism, end ...
'', but since 2021 it is afforded full species status.
[ www.reptile-database.org.]
References
Further reading
*
Boulenger, George Albert (1889). ''Catalogue of the Chelonians, Rhynchocephalians, and Crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). New Edition.'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). x + 311 pp. + Plates I-VI. (''Hydraspis tuberosa'', p. 233).
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2254858
Phrynops
Turtles of South America
Fauna of the Amazon
Reptiles of Bolivia
Turtles of Brazil
Reptiles of Colombia
Reptiles of Ecuador
Reptiles of Guyana
Reptiles of Peru
Reptiles of Venezuela
Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters
Reptiles described in 1870