Genus Emydura Bonaparte, 1836

Museums

Regional Maps

• Emydura Bonaparte, C.L. 1836. Cheloniorum Tabula Analytica. Rome. 9 pp. [7] [a nom. nud. because its type species is itself a nom.nud.; Emydura should be conserved, however, on the grounds of general usage].

  Type species:

   Chelys macquaria Cuvier, 1829 by monotypy.

  Secondary source:

   Stimson, A.F. 1986. On the correct zoological name of the Australasian turtle genus Emydura Bonaparte. Journal of Herpetology 20(2): 279-280.
• Chelymys Gray, J.E. 1844. Catalogue of the Tortoises, Crocodiles, and Amphibians in the Collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum viii 80 pp. [42].

  Type species:

   Emys macquaria Cuvier, 1829 (=Chelymys macquaria Gray, 1844) by monotypy (= Chelys (Hydraspis) maquarii Gray, 1830).
• Euchelymys [part.] Gray, J.E. 1871. On Euchelymys, a new genus and two new species of Australian freshwater tortoises. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 4 8: 117-118 [118] [also in synonymy of Elseya].

  Type species:

   Euchelymys sulcifera Gray, 1871 by subsequent designation, see 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].
• Tropicochelymys 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 species:

   Hydraspis victoriae Gray, 1842 by original designation.

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]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Vic, WA: Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU) ; NSW, Qld, SA, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Kanmantoo (KAN), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Victorian Midlands (VM), Wet Tropics (WT) ; NT, Qld, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Central Arnhem (CA), Central Kimberley (CK), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Dampierland (DL), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Northern Kimberley (NK), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB)

ID Keys

Key to Emydura species from Georges & Thomson 2010

1 - Triturating surfaces of maxillary sheath simple, not expanded to form a crushing plate on the roof of the mouth; length of mandibular symphysis in adults approximately equal to the horizontal diameter of the tympanum; postocular stripe absent, or if present, cream, yellow through to bright salmon, fading with age; iris with or without leading and trailing dark spots -
.............................................................................................................................................................................................................2
-. Triturating surfaces of maxillary sheath expanded, meeting medially to form a crushing plate on the roof of the mouth; length of mandibular symphysis in adults about 1.5 times the horizontal diameter of the tympanum; postocular stripe typically bright red, fading with age; iris without leading and trailing dark spots ; macrocephaly in adults common -
............................................................................................................................................................................................................victoriae
2. Triturating surfaces of the maxillary and mandibular sheaths unremarkable, borders of the triturating surfaces of the maxillary sheath approximately parallel for their full length; facial stripe present or absent; if present, varies in colour from cream, yellow, pink or bright salmon -
............................................................................................................................................................................................................3
-. Moderate medial expansion of the triturating surfaces of the maxillary sheath; post-ocular stripe universally yellow (fading in older individuals); carapace commonly with distinct rugations in adult individuals; macrocephaly uncommon -
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................tanybaraga
3 - Iris with leading and trailing dark spots; prominent facial stripe extending from the tympanum through the upper eyelid to the tip of the nose -
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................subglobosa
- Iris with leading and trailing dark spots; facial stripe present or absent, if present as a cream or yellow post-ocular stripe -
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................macquarii

Diagnosis References

Georges, A. & Thomson, S. 2010. Diversity of Australasian freshwater turtles, with an annotated synonymy and keys to species. Zootaxa 2496: 1-37 [23]

History of changes