Genus Caretta Rafinesque, 1814

Museums

Regional Maps

• Caretta Rafinesque, C.S. 1814. Prodromo di erpetologia siciliana. In: Specchio della Scienze, o Giornale enciclopedico di Sicilia. Deposito letterario delle moderne cognizioni, scoperte et osservazioni sopra le scienze ed arti. Palermo, Vol. 2, 196 pp. 65-67, 102-104 pp. [66].

  Type species:

   Caretta nasuta Rafinesque, 1814 by monotypy.

  Secondary source:

   Wermuth, H. & Mertens, R. 1977. Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien; Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia. Das Tierreich 100: i-xxvii, 1-174.
• Thalassochelys Fitzinger, L.J. 1835. Entwurf einer systematischen Anordnung der Schildkröten nach den Grundsätzen der naturlichen Methode. Annalen des Wiener Museums der Naturgeschichte 1: 103-108 [121] [described as subgenus of Chelonia].

  Type species:

   Testudo caouana Lacépède, 1788 by subsequent designation, see Fitzinger, L.J. 1843. Systema Reptilium. Fasciculus Primus. Amblyglossae. Vienna : Braümüller et Seidel i-vi, 106 pp.
• Caouana [part.] Gray, J.E. 1844. Catalogue of the Tortoises, Crocodiles, and Amphibians in the Collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum viii 80 pp. [52] [?non Caouana Cocteau, 1838].

  Type species (included species):

   Testudo caretta Linnaeus, 1758; Caouana elongata Gray, 1844

  Secondary source:

   Wermuth, H. & Mertens, R. 1977. Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien; Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia. Das Tierreich 100: i-xxvii, 1-174.
• Halichelys Fitzinger, L.J. 1843. Systema Reptilium. Fasciculus Primus. Amblyglossae. Vienna : Braümüller et Seidel i-vi, 106 pp. [30].

  Type species:

   Caretta atra Merrem, 1820 by original designation.
• Caouana Cocteau, J.T. 1838. Reptiles de l'île de Cuba. In Sagra, R. de la Histoire physique, politique et naturelle de l'île de Cuba. Paris : de Arthus Bertrand. [35].

  Type species:

   Testudo caouana Lacépède, 1788 by absolute tautonymy.

  Secondary source:

   Wermuth, H. & Mertens, R. 1977. Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien; Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia. Das Tierreich 100: i-xxvii, 1-174.
• Thalassiochelis Nardo, G.D. 1864. Nuova rarissima specie di Cheloniano pescato nelle nostre spiaggie: Chelonia mydas. Atti del Reale Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti 3 9: 1418-1427 [1421] [invalid emend. for Thalassochelys Fitzinger, 1835, see Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.].

  Secondary source:

   Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.
• Eremonia Gray, J.E. 1873. Notes on the genera of turtles (Oiacopodes), and especially on their skeletons and skulls. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1873: 395-411 [408].

  Type species:

   Caouana elongata Gray, 1844 by monotypy.
• Thalassiochelys Philippi, R.A. 1887. Vorläufige Nachricht über die chilenischen Seeschildkröten und einige Fische der chilenischen Küste. Zoologische Garten, Frankfurt-am-Main 28: 84-85 [85] [invalid emend. for Thalassochelys Fitzinger, 1835, see Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.].

  Secondary source:

   Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.
• Thallasochelys Barbour, T. & Cole, 1906. On Reptilia, Amphibia and Pisces. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard 50: 146-155 [148] [error for Thalassochelys Fitzinger, 1835].

  Secondary source:

   Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp.

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Wermuth, H. & Mertens, R. 1977. Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien; Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia. Das Tierreich 100: i-xxvii, 1-174
• Smith, H.M. & Smith, R.B. 1979. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico. Vol. 6. Guide to Mexican Turtles. Bibliographic Addendum 3. North Bennington, Vermont : John Johnson 1044 pp. [93; 294]

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Pan-tropical, extending into temperate regions.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northwest Province (4), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41), Central Western Transition (5)

Distribution References

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
08-Mar-2011		19-Mar-2013	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)