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Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update: December 31st, 2022.


Taxonomy of the family Chelydridae
Bibliography of the genus Chelydra
Biodiversity of the family Chelydridae








Genus
Chelydra

American Snapping Turtles

Amerikanische Schnappschildkröten

Amerikanske Snapskildpadder

1814 Chelydra Schweigger (type species: Testudo serpentina Linnaeus 1758)
1822 Chelonura Fleming (type species: Testudo serpentina Linnaeus 1758; syn. Fritz & Havas 2006)
1822 Ophichelone Jarocki (type species: Testudo serpentina Linnaeus 1758; syn. Fritz & Havas 2006)
1825 Rapara Gray (type species: Testudo serpentina Linnaeus 1758; syn. Fritz & Havas 2006)
1827 Saurochelys Latreille in Berthold (type species: Testudo serpentina Linnaeus 1758; syn. Fritz & Havas 2006)
1832 Cheliurus Rafinesque (type species: Testudo serpentina Linnaeus 1758; syn. Fritz & Havas 2006)
1835 Emysaurus Dumeril & Bibron (type species: Testudo serpentina Linnaeus 1758; syn. Fritz & Havas 2006)
1905 Devisia Ogilby (type species: Devisia mythodes Ogilby 1905; syn. Fritz & Havas 2006)

Contents: 3 species, none of which are endemic.
Endemism: 0% 100%
Introduced to: Canada (British Columbia), China, France, Guam, Japan, Mexico, South Africa (Western Cape), Spain (Balearic Islands [Mallorca]), Taiwan, United Kingdom, USA (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah).
Distribution: C. and E. North America, Central America, NW. South America.
Reported from: Belize, Canada (Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Veracruz, Yucatan), Nicaragua, Panama, USA (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York [incl. Long Island], North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming).

Chelydra acutirostris

South American Snapping Turtle

Südamerikanische Schnappschildkröte

Sydamerikansk Snapskildpadde

1862 Chelydra serpentina var. acutirostris Peters
Chelydra acutirostris Babcock 1932

Remarks: Revalidated as a separate species by Phillips, Dimmick & Carr (1996).
Distribution: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama.


Chelydra rossignonii

Central American Snapping Turtle

Mittelamerikanische Schnappschildkröte

Centralamerikansk Snapskildpadde

1868 Emysaurus rossignonii Bocourt
Chelydra rossignonii Cope 1872
Chelydra serpentina rossignoni Mertens 1934

Remarks: Revalidated as a separate species by Phillips, Dimmick & Carr (1996).
Distribution: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Veracruz).


Chelydra serpentina

North American Snapping Turtle, Common Snapping Turtle

Nordamerikanische Schnappschildkröte

Nordamerikansk Snapskildpadde

1758 Testudo serpentina Linnaeus
Chelydra serpentina Schweigger 1812
Emys serpentina Merrem 1820
Chelonura serpentina Fleming 1822
Ophiochelone serpentina Jarocki 1822
Rapara serpentina Gray 1825
Saurochelys serpentina Berthold 1827
Cheliurus serpentina Rafinesque 1832
Emysaura serpentina Duméril & Bibron 1835
Hydraspis serpentina Fitzinger 1835
1802 Testudo serpentaria Wiedemann [substitute name] (Fritz & Havas 2006)
1812 Chelydra lacertina Schweigger (Fritz & Havas 2006)
Chelydra serpentina lacertina Stejneger 1914
1857 Chelydra emarginata Agassiz (Fritz & Havas 2006)
1905 Devisia mythodes Ogilby (Fritz & Havas 2006)
1918 Chelydra osceola Stejneger
Chelydra serpentina osceola Mertens 1934

Other common names:
osceola: Florida Snapping Turtle
serpentina: Common Snapping Turtle
Remarks: Previously included acutirostris and rossignonii (e.g., Wermuth & Mertens 1977). Presence in Mexico needs confirmation (Legler & Vogt 2013).
Introduced to: Canada (British Columbia), China, France, Guam, Japan, Mexico, South Africa (Western Cape), Spain (Balearic Islands [Mallorca]), Taiwan, United Kingdom, USA (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah).
Distribution: Canada (Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan), USA (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York [incl. Long Island], North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming).


Chelydra serpentina
© Rune Midtgaard