Hydromedusa
Encyclopedia
Hydromedusa is a turtle
genus
in the family
Chelidae
, commonly known as the South American snake-necked turtles. They are quite closely related to the South America
n side-necked swamp turtles (Acanthochelys
) and the snake-necked turtles of the Australia
n-Melanesian region (Macrochelodina), but less closely to the side-necked river turtles of South America (Podocnemididae
) which belong to a more modern lineage of Pleurodira
.
This genus contains the following species:
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Chelidae
Chelidae
The Chelidae are one of the three living families of the turtle suborder Pleurodira and are commonly called the Austro-South American Side Neck turtles. The Family is distributed in Australia, New Guinea, parts of Indonesia and throughout most of South America. It is a large family of turtles with...
, commonly known as the South American snake-necked turtles. They are quite closely related to the South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n side-necked swamp turtles (Acanthochelys
Acanthochelys
Acanthochelys is a genus of turtle in the Chelidae family.It contains the following species:* Big-headed pantanal swamp turtle * Chaco side-necked turtle...
) and the snake-necked turtles of the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-Melanesian region (Macrochelodina), but less closely to the side-necked river turtles of South America (Podocnemididae
Podocnemididae
Podocnemididae is a family of turtles native to Madagascar and northern South America. They are side-necked turtles , which means they do not retract their heads backwards, but hide it sideways....
) which belong to a more modern lineage of Pleurodira
Pleurodira
The Pleurodira are one of the two living suborders of turtles, the other being the Cryptodira. In many cases in the nomenclature of animals, ranks such as suborder are considered of little importance apart from nomenclatural or taxonomic reasons. However, this is not the case with the suborders of...
.
This genus contains the following species:
- Brazilian snake-necked turtleBrazilian Snake-necked TurtleThe Brazilian snake-necked turtle is a species of turtle in the Chelidae family.It is endemic to Brazil. It is one of the smallest Brazilian freshwater turtles. This species is very sedentary. The average daily dispacement only reaches 2 meters. This animal prefers streams with sandy and rocky...
, Hydromedusa maximiliani - Argentine snake-necked turtleArgentine Snake-necked TurtleThe Argentine snake-necked turtle, also known as the South American snake-necked turtle is a species of turtle, known for the long neck which gave it its name...
, Hydromedusa tectifera