• Elseya Gray, J.E. 1867. Description of a new Australian tortoise (Elseya latisternum). Annals and Magazine of Natural History 3 20: 43-45 [44].

  Type species:

   Chelymys dentata Gray, 1863 by subsequent designation, see Mertens, R. & Wermuth, H. 1955. Die rezenten Schildkröten, Krokodile und Brückenechsen. Eine kritische Liste der heute lebenden Arten und Rassen. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik 83: 323-440.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

IBRA

NT, Qld, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Arnhem (CA), Central Kimberley (CK), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Northern Kimberley (NK), NSW North Coast (NNC), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

History of changes

• Chelymys dentata Gray, J.E. 1863. On the species of Chelymys from Australia, with the description of a new species. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 3 12: 98-99, 246 [98, 246].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) BMNH 1947.3.6.3 (possible holotype), Beagle's Valley, upper Victoria River, NT; BMNH 1947.3.6.3.
• Chelymys elseyi Gray, J.E. 1864. On the genera of Chelydidae and the characters furnished by the study of their skulls. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1864: 128-135 [132] [as C. elseyi, nom. nud., introduced in synonymy].
• Elseya intermedia Gray, J.E. 1872. Appendix to the Catalogue of Shield Reptiles in the Collection of the British Museum. Testudinata (Tortoises). London : British Museum Vol. 1 28 pp. [23] [cited as Elseya ? intermedia].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 1947.3.4.14, upper part of Victoria River, NT.
• Elseya stirlingi Wells, R.W. & Wellington, C.R. 1985. A classification of the Amphibia and Reptilia of Australia. Australian Journal of Herpetology Supplementary Series 1: 1-61 [Date published September, 1985] [9].

  Type data:

   Holotype AM R93048 (previously R68848), Cairns district, QLD.

  Secondary source:

   Shea, G.M. & Sadlier, R.A. 1999. A catalogue of the non-fossil amphibian and reptile type specimens in the collection of the Australian Museum: types currently, previously and purportedly present. Technical Reports of the Australian Museum 15: 1-91 [54].
• Chelymys elseya Gray, J.E. 1870. Supplement to the catalogue of shield reptiles in the collection of the Bristish Museum. Part I. Testudinata (tortoises). London : British Museum. [nomen nudum].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Cogger, H.G., in Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E. & Cogger, H.M. 1983. Amphibia and Reptilia. 313 pp. in Walton, D.W. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1 vi + 313 pp. [62]

Generic Combinations

• Elseya dentata (Gray, 1863). —
  Gray, J.E. 1867. Description of a new Australian tortoise (Elseya latisternum). Annals and Magazine of Natural History 3 20: 43-45

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NT, Qld, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Arnhem (CA), Central Kimberley (CK), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Northern Kimberley (NK), NSW North Coast (NNC), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

Aquatic, lentic freshwater, lotic freshwater, noctidiurnal, oviparous, predator.

Extra Ecological Information

Seasonal breeder, sexually dimorphic, general carnivore.

General References

Coventry, A.J. & Tanner, C. 1973. Notes on the short-necked tortoises Emydura australis (Gray) and Elseya dentata (Gray) in the Victoria River system, Northern Territory. Victorian Naturalist 90: 351-353

Georges, A. & Thomson, S. 2010. Diversity of Australasian freshwater turtles, with an annotated synonymy and keys to species. Zootaxa 2496: 1-37 [21]

Common Name References

CAVS 2006. Census of Australian Vertebrate Species. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Northern Snapping Turtle)

Clayton, M., Wombey, J.C., Mason, I.J., Chesser, R.T. & Wells, A. 2006. CSIRO List of Australian Vertebrates: A Reference with Conservation Status. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing iv 162 pp. [17] (Victoria River Snapper)

History of changes

• Elseya flaviventralis Thomson, S. & Georges, A. 2016. A new species of freshwater turtle of the gneus Elseya (Testudinata: Pleurodira: Chelidae) from the Northern Territory of Australia. Zootaxa 4061(1): 18-28 [20].

  Type data:

   Holotype NTM NTM13512 ♀, Pine Creek Crossing, South Alligator River drainage, Kakadu NP Northern Territory [13°30'S, 132°28'E].
  Paratype(s) NTM NTM13985 ♂, Pul Pul Billabong, South Alligator River drainage, Kakadu NP, Northern Territory [13°34'S, 132°35'E].

Distribution

States

Northern Territory

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NT: Arnhem Plateau (ARP)

History of changes