Eastern black-bridged leaf turtle explained

The eastern black-bridged leaf turtle (Cyclemys pulchristiata) is a species of Asian leaf turtles found in southern Indochina.[1]

Description

In this species, the carapace is reddish brown, ovoid to elongated, with wide, radiating, black lines or large, black specks. The plastron is mostly yellow and may have short, fat lines, specks, or be uniformly colored. The head is speckled, with a yellow throat. The neck is striped. Hatchlings have wide head and neck stripes and yellow plastrons. The bridge is predominantly yellow with black stripes or entirely black. It is mostly morphologically indistinguishable from the western black-bridged leaf turtle, C. atripons, requiring genetic sampling to confidently identify.[2] Some authorities consider this species to be a junior synonym to or a subspecies of C. atripons.[3]

Distribution

It is found in eastern Cambodia and in southern and central Vietnam.[3] [2]

Notes and References

  1. [Turtle Taxonomy Working Group]
  2. Durkin. Louise. Handschuh. Markus. Sovannak. Keo. Ward. Lizzy. Hulse. Nikki. Mould. Alistair. 2010. Discovery of a hitherto unknown breeding population of the Asian leaf turtle Cyclemys aff. atripons in Phnom Kulen National Park, northwestern Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History . 1. Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, Phnom Penh.
  3. Fritz . U. . Guicking . D. . Auer . M. . Sommer . R. S. . Wink . M. . Hundsdrfer . A. K. . amp . Diversity of the Southeast Asian leaf turtle genus Cyclemys: how many leaves on its tree of life? . Zoologica Scripta . 2008 . 37 . 4 . 367–390 . 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2008.00332.x . 85899075 .