• Source: Pelomedusidae

Alternatively, "Pelomedusidae" may refer to the Pelomedusoidea. See below for details.

Pelomedusidae is a family of freshwater turtles endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar, São Tomé, and the Seychelles (although this population may have been introduced by humans). They range in size from 12 to 45 cm (4.7 to 17.7 in) in carapace length, and are generally roundish in shape. They are unable to fully withdraw their heads into their shells, instead drawing them to the side and folding them beneath the upper edge of their shells, hence are called African side-necked turtles.
The family contains two living genera, Pelomedusa and Pelusios. They are distinguished from their closest relatives by a hinge in the front section of the plastron.
Pelomedusids spends most of their time in the mud at the bottom of rivers or shallow lakes, where they eat invertebrates, such as insects, mollusks, and worms. Many species aestivate through the dry season, burying themselves in the mud.




Systematics and taxonomy


Within Pleurodira, Pelomedusidae is more closely related to the South American and Malagasy Podocnemididae than to the South American and Australian Chelidae, with the clade containing both Pelomedusidae and Podocnemididae to the exclusion of Chelidae dubbed Pelomedusoides.
Within Pelomedusidae are 2 genera and 27 extant species.

Pelomedusa
Pelomedusa barbata
Pelomedusa galeata
Pelomedusa gehafie
Pelomedusa kobe
Pelomedusa neumanni
Pelomedusa olivacea
Pelomedusa schweinfurthi
Pelomedusa somalica
Pelomedusa subrufa
Pelomedusa variabilis
Pelusios
Pelusios adansonii
Pelusios bechuanicus
Pelusios broadleyi
Pelusios carinatus
Pelusios castaneus
Pelusios castanoides
Pelusios chapini
Pelusios cupulatta
Pelusios gabonensis
Pelusios marani
Pelusios nanus
Pelusios niger
Pelusios rhodesianus
Pelusios sinuatus
Pelusios subniger
Pelusios upembae
Pelusios williamsi
Pelusios seychellensis was originally described as an endemic species to the Seychelles based on Museum specimens from the 19th century. However, this species was never found again and thus listed as Extinct by the IUCN. However, mitochondrial evidence proved the specimens to actually be from P. castaneus thus revoking the species status of P. seychellensis.




References






Further reading


Edward Drinker Cope. 1868. An Examination of the REPTILIA and BATRACHIA obtained by the Orton Expedition to Equador [sic] and the Upper Amazon, with notes on other species. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 20: 96-140. (Pelomedusidæ, new family, p. 119).
Goin CJ, Goin OB, Zug GR. 1978. Introduction to Herpetology: Third Edition. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company. xi + 378 pp. ISBN 0-7167-0020-4. (Family Pelomedusidae, pp. 271–272).




External links



Family Pelomedusidae on reptile-database.org

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Pleurodira
• Kura-kura
• Pelomedusidae
• Terrapin
• African helmeted turtle
• Pelomedusa galeata
• Pleurodira
• List of reptiles of Togo
• List of reptiles of Madagascar
• West African mud turtle
• List of reptiles
• Tortoise