Elseya Explained

Elseya is a genus of large side-necked turtles, commonly known as Australian snapping turtles, in the family Chelidae. Species in the genus Elseya are found in river systems in northern and northeastern Australia and throughout the river systems of New Guinea.[1] They are identified by the presence of alveolar ridges on the triturating surfaces of the mouth and the presence of a complex bridge strut.[2]

The Australian snapping turtles are largely herbivorous, with specialized mouth structures for eating fruits. However, they will eat animal products if opportunity arises. The various species can be found in large numbers where they are still abundant, e.g., Northern Territory of Australia. However, a number of the populations have become increasingly rare, and some are now listed as endangered.

Systematics

Etymology

John Edward Gray created the generic name, Elseya, in 1867 in honour of Dr. Joseph Ravenscroft Elsey, a surgeon-naturalist on the Gregory Expedition[3] that traversed northern Australia from the Victoria River to Moreton Bay in 1855–1856.

List of species

The genus was originally described by Gray in 1867 with the type species being set as Elseya dentata. The fossil genus Pelocomastes was later synonymised with this genus. Following the recent revisions of this genus, the latisternum group has been moved to the new genus Myuchelys.[4] The remaining species of this genus have additionally been separated into three subgenera, Elseya, Pelocomastes, and Hanwarachelys, and the species redistributed among them.[5]

Common nameScientific nameIUCN Red List Status[6] Picture
Subgenus: Elseya
Northern snapping turtleElseya dentata
(Gray, 1863)[7]
Branderhorst's snapping turtleElseya branderhorsti
(Ouwens, 1914)[8]
Yellow-bellied snapping turtleElseya flaviventralis
Thomson & Georges, 2016[9]
Elseya kalumburu
Joseph-Ouni, McCord & Cann, 2022[10]
Subgenus: Pelocomastes
White-throated snapping turtleElseya albagula
Thomson, Georges & Limpus, 2006
Irwin's turtleElseya irwini
Cann, 1997[11]
Gulf snapping turtleElseya lavarackorum
(White & Archer, 1994)[12]
Subgenus: Hanwarachelys
Elseya caelatus
Joseph-Ouni & McCord, 2019
Elseya papua
Joseph-Ouni & McCord, 2022
Western New Guinea stream turtleElseya novaeguineae
(Meyer, 1874)[13]
Elseya nabire
Joseph-Ouni & McCord, 2022
Southern New Guinea stream turtleElseya rhodini
Thomson, Amepou, Anamiato & Georges, 2015
Northern New Guinea stream turtleElseya schultzei
(T. Vogt, 1911)[14]
Subgenus: Solomonemys
Guadalcanal snapping turtleElseya auramemoria
Joseph-Ouni, McCord & Dwyer, 2022
Malaita snapping turtleElseya eidolon
Joseph-Ouni, McCord & Dwyer, 2022

Extinct species

There are two identified extinct species of Elseya. Elseya nadibajagu [15] and Elseya uberrima [16] are prehistoric species known only from fossils. E. lavarackorum was initially believed also to be a fossil taxon, but later discovered to be still extant.[2] Elseya nadibajagu is a Pliocene species of extinct Australian snapping turtle, described from the Bluff Downs region of Queensland, Australia.;[17] whereas Elseya uberrima is a Pleistocene species described from the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia.[18]

External links and further reading

Notes and References

  1. Thomson S, Georges A, Limpus C (2006). "A New Species of Freshwater Turtle in the Genus Elseya (Testudines: Chelidae) from Central Coastal Queensland, Australia". Chelon. Conserv. Biol. 5 (1): 74–86. PDF fulltext
  2. Thomson S, White A, Georges A (1997). "Re-Evaluation of Emydura lavarackorum: Identification of a Living Fossil". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 42 (1): 327–336.
  3. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
  4. Thomson S, Georges A (2009). "Myuchelys gen. nov. — a new genus for Elseya latisternum and related forms of Australian freshwater turtle (Testudines: Pleurodira: Chelidae)". Zootaxa 2053: 32–42.
  5. Thomson S, Amepou Y, Anamiato J, Georges A (2015). "A new species and subgenus of Elseya (Testudines: Pleurodira: Chelidae) from New Guinea". Zootaxa 4006 (1): 59–82. Preview (PDF)
  6. Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [van Dijk, P.P., Iverson, J.B., Rhodin, A.G.J., Shaffer, H.B., and Bour, R.]. 2014. "Turtles of the world, 7th edition: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution with maps, and conservation status". In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Iverson, J.B., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 5(7):000.329–479
  7. Gray JE (1863). "On the species of Chelymys from Australia, with the description of a new species". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Third Series 12: 98–99.
  8. [Peter Ouwens|Ouwens PA]
  9. [Scott A. Thomson|Thomson S]
  10. Web site: Elseya kalumburu. Reptile Database. 17 January 2022.
  11. [species:John Cann|Cann J]
  12. White AW, Archer M (1994). "Emydura lavarackorum, a new Pleistocene turtle (Pleurodira: Chelidae) from fluviatile deposits at Riversleigh, Northwestern Queensland". Records of the South Australian Museum 27 (2): 160–167.
  13. [Adolf Bernhard Meyer|Meyer AB]
  14. [species:Theodor Vogt|Vogt, Theodor]
  15. Thomson SA, Mackness BS (1999). "Fossil Turtles from the Early Pliocene Bluff Downs Local Fauna, with a description of a new species of Elseya ". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 123 (3): 101–105.
  16. De Vis CW (1897). "The extinct freshwater turtles of Queensland". Annals of the Queensland Museum 3: 3-7.
  17. Thomson SA, Mackness BS.. 1999 . Fossil turtles from the Early Pliocene Bluff Downs local fauna, with a description of a new species of Elseya . Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia . 123 . 3 . 101–105 .
  18. Thomson SA (2000). "A Revision of the Fossil Chelid Turtles (Pleurodira) Described by C.W. De Vis, 1897". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 45 (2): 593–598. (Brisbane).