List of Testudines families
There are fourteen extant
Testudinidae and Trionychidae are all cryptodires, although the ability to retract the head has been lost in the sea turtles (Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae). A third order, the Paracryptodirans, are extinct.[1][failed verification][dubious
]
Reptiles are classified according to the pattern of
Diapsida.[3]
Both sides cite strong evidence, and the conflict has yet to be resolved.ribcage and part of the vertebral column. Because of the shell, the pectoral and pelvic girdles are located within the ribcage. The limb bones are also modified to accommodate to the shell.[1]
The earliest known turtles are from fossils in the
Upper Triassic. These fossils are nearly indistinguishable from modern turtles anatomically. In these early fossils (mostly of the genus Proganochelys), the teeth have already been lost, and a keratin beak is suggested by the mandibles. Important differences between Proganochelys and modern turtles are the presence of the palatal teeth (lost in modern species), the inability to retract the head within the shell, and the lack of a trochlear pulley in the jaw closing anatomy.[1]
Families
The following lists the family—the Latin name of the family, date in which the species was formally described and classified, and the binomial authority on the species; the number of genera belonging to the family; the name or names commonly used; an example species and an example image.
| Cryptodira – 11 families, 74 genera, over 200 species | ||||
| Family[7] | Genera[8] | Common name(s) | Example species | Example image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carettochelyidae Boulenger, 1887 |
1 | Pig-nosed turtle | Pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) | 
|
| Cheloniidae Oppel, 1811 |
6 | Sea turtles | Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) | 
|
| Chelydridae Gray, 1831 |
2 | Snapping turtles | Alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) | 
|
| Dermatemydidae Gray, 1870 |
1 | Central American river turtle | Central American river turtle (Dermatemys mawii) |
|
| Dermochelyidae Fitzinger, 1843 |
1 | Leatherback sea turtle | Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) | 
|
Rafinesque , 1815 |
12 | Pond turtles, terrapins, and sliders | Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) | 
|
| Geoemydidae Theobald, 1868 |
24 | Asian leaf turtles, roofed turtles, and Asian box turtles | Amboina box turtle (Cuora amboinensis) | 
|
| Kinosternidae Agassiz, 1857 |
4 | Mud and musk turtles | Common musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) | 
|
Platysternidae , 1869 Gray |
1 | Big-headed turtle | Big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) | 
|
Testudinidae , 1788Batsch |
12 | Tortoises |
Aldabra giant tortoise (Geochelone gigantea) | 
|
| Trionychidae Fitzinger, 1826 |
14 | Softshell turtles | Spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera) | 
|
| Pleurodira – 3 families, 16 genera, over 60 species | ||||
| Family | Genera | Common names | Example species | Example image |
| Chelidae Gray, 1831 |
15 | Austro-American sideneck turtles | Common snakeneck turtle (Chelodina longicollis) |
|
| Pelomedusidae Cope, 1868 |
2 | Afro-American sideneck turtles | African helmeted turtle (Pelomedusa subrufa) | 
|
| Podocnemididae Gray, 1869 |
3 | Madagascar big-headed, big-headed Amazon River turtle and South American sideneck river turtles | Madagascar big-headed turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis) |
|
References
- ^ a b c Pecor, Keith (2 March 2010). "Testudines". Encyclopedia of Life. Archived from the original on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ Romer, A.S. (1933). Vertebrate Paleontology. University of Chicago Press., 3rd ed., 1966.
- .
- ISBN 0-632-05637-1
- PMID 9826682.
- S2CID 4264378.
- ^ John B. Iverson; A. Jon Kimerling; A. Ross Kiester. "List of All Families". Terra Cognita Laboratory, Geosciences Department of Oregon State University. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ John B. Iverson; A. Jon Kimerling; A. Ross Kiester. "List of Genera". Terra Cognita Laboratory, Geosciences Department of Oregon State University. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
Further reading
- David T. Kirkpatrick (November–December 1995). "Platysternon megacephalum". Reptile & Amphibian Magazine. pp. 40–47. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- Cogger, H.G.; R.G. Zweifel; D. Kirschner (2004). Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians Second Edition. Fog City Press. ISBN 1-877019-69-0.
External links
- John B. Iverson; A. Jon Kimerling; A. Ross Kiester. "EMYSystems". Terra Cognita Laboratory, Geosciences Department of Oregon State University. Retrieved 26 June 2010.