Genus Chelodina Fitzinger, 1826
Compiler and date details
21 April 2011 - Erika Alacs
Taxonomic Decision for Subgeneric Arrangement
- Georges, A. & Thomson, S. 2010. Diversity of Australasian freshwater turtles, with an annotated synonymy and keys to species. Zootaxa 2496: 1-37 [13]
- Shea, G., Thomson, S. & Georges, A. 2020. The identity of Chelodina oblonga Gray 1841 (Testudines: Chelidae) reassessed. Zootaxa 4779(3): 419-437 [429-432]
Excluded Taxa
- Misidentifications
CHELIDAE: Chelodina novaeguineae Boulenger, 1888
Distribution
States
Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
New Guinea (southern New Guinea).
IBRA
ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Wet Tropics (WT) ; ACT, NSW, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Flinders (FLI), Kanmantoo (KAN), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP) ; NT, Qld: Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Sturt Plateau (STU) ; NT, Qld, WA: Central Arnhem (CA), Victoria Bonaparte (VB) ; NT, WA: Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Central Kimberley (CK), Northern Kimberley (NK) ; Qld: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Pine Creek (PCK), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW) ; WA: Carnarvon (CAR), Gascoyne (GAS), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Murchison (MUR), Pilbara (PIL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)
Other Regions
Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater
ID Keys
Key to subgenera and species from Georges & Thomson 2010
1. Plastron broad, covering or almost covering the anterior orifice of the shell in ventral view; intergular scute approximately twice as long as the suture between the pectoral scutes; length of head and neck equal or slightly less than length of the carapace; dorsum of neck with many blunt conical tubercules; fluid with a pungent odour secreted from ducts in the inguinal and axillary pockets when distressed -......................................................................................................................................................................subgenus Chelodina.............................2
-. Plastron narrow, covering only about half the anterior orifice of the shell in ventral view; intergular scute approximately the same length as or shorter than the suture between the pectoral scutes; head and neck longer than the carapace; dorsum of neck lacking obvious tubercules; fluid from ducts in the inguinal and auxillary pockets if with noticeable odour, not pungent -
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................8
2 - Expanded anterior lobe of the plastron moderate, not completely covering the anterior orifice of the shell in ventral view; sutures of plastron not edged in black, or at most narrowly edged with black; posterior marginal scutes not elevated medially to accommodate the tail - ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
-. Expanded anterior lobe of the plastron very broad, covering the anterior orifice of the shell in ventral view; sutures of the cream or yellow plastron broadly edged with black; posterior marginal scutes elevated medially to accommodate the tail -
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................longicollis
3 - Carapace strongly convex, distinctly oval in outline -
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
-. Carapace very flat, almost circular in outline -
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................steindachneri
4 - First and second marginal scutes approximately equal in size -
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
-. Second marginal scute distinctly larger than the first -
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................mccordi
5 - Jaws and assocaited triturating surfaces robust -
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
-. Jaws and associated triturating surfaces petite (as in C. longicollis) -
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................pritchardi
6 - Head moderate, without distinct convexity to the dorsum of the head -
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................7
-. Head robust, disproportionately large, with distinct convexity of the dorsum of the head -
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................reimanni
7 - Northern Australia -
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................canni
-. New Guinea -
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................novaeguinea
8 - Carapace approximately oval; plastron of moderate length; less than twice as long as its width measured anterior to the bridge -
............................................................................................................................................................................subgenus Macrochelodina...........9
-. Carapace very narrow, plastron long, narrow, more than twice as long as its width measured anterior to the bridge - ............................................................................................................................................................................subgenus Macrodiremys.....colliei
9 - Ventral surface of the cervical scute longer than wide, or length and width approximately equal -
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................10
-. Ventral surface of the cervical scute much shorter than it is wide -
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................11
10 - Distinct white patch immediately above and behind the tympanum, with or without dark blotches; ventral surface of the cerival scute longer than wide -
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................parkeri
-. No distinctive white patches on the head; length and width of the ventral surface of the cerival scute approximately equal -
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................expansa
11 - Width of head moderate, not dramatically wider than the neck; two barbels on the chin, if present -
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................rugosa
-. Head very broad, dramatically wider than the neck, multiple prominent barbels forming a linear series on each mandible -
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................burrungandjii
Diagnosis References
Georges, A. & Thomson, S. 2010. Diversity of Australasian freshwater turtles, with an annotated synonymy and keys to species. Zootaxa 2496: 1-37 [14]
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-Oct-2018 | CHELIDAE | 30-Nov-2022 | MODIFIED | |
| 31-Jan-2017 | Chelodina Fitzinger, 1826 | 16-Aug-2018 | MODIFIED | |
| 21-Mar-2016 | CHELIDAE | 31-Oct-2018 | MODIFIED | |
| 04-Sep-2013 | CHELIDAE | 31-Oct-2018 | MODIFIED | |
| 09-Aug-2012 | 31-Oct-2018 | MODIFIED | ||
| 29-Apr-2011 | 31-Oct-2018 | MODIFIED | ||
| 08-Mar-2011 | 31-Oct-2018 | MODIFIED | ||
| 31-Oct-2018 | MODIFIED |