Apalachicola snapping turtle

The Apalachicola snapping turtle (Macrochelys apalachicolae) is a proposed species that lives in the Apalachicola River, United States.[2][3] The proposed species can as well be found within other panhandle rivers within the states of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.

Apalachicola snapping turtle
Scientific classification Edit this classification
(disputed)
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Chelydridae
Genus: Macrochelys
Species:
M. apalachicolae
Binomial name
Macrochelys apalachicolae
Thomas et al., 2014[1]

Taxonomy

edit

It has traditionally been included as part of the widespread species M. temminckii, but an analysis in 2014 recommended treating it as distinct.[1][4] A study published the following year considered this change unwarranted, and recommended that M. apalachicolae should be considered a junior synonym of M. temminckii,[5] and this is followed by the Reptile Database,[6] IUCN's Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group,[7] and the Committee On Standard English And Scientific Names (Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles).[8]

Conservation

edit

The Apalachicola snapping turtles[9] and other species of snapping turtle have been described as endangered due to human activity, which is causing the destruction to their natural habitats.[10]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Thomas, T. M.; Granatosky, M. C.; Bourque, J. R.; Krysko, K. L.; Moler, P. E.; Gamble, T.; Suarez, E.; Leone, E.; Enge, K. M.; Roman, J. (9 April 2014). "Taxonomic assessment of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Chelydridae: Macrochelys), with the description of two new species from the southeastern United States". Zootaxa. 3786 (2): 141–165. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3786.2.4. PMID 24869532.
  2. ^ Stephenie Livingston (April 10, 2014). "Study shows 'dinosaurs of the turtle world' at risk in Southeast rivers". University of Florida News. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014.
  3. ^ Joshua E. Brown (April 24, 2014). "Research splits alligator snapping turtle, 'dinosaur of the turtle world,' into three species". Phys.org.
  4. ^ John R. Platt (April 17, 2014). "Alligator Snapping Turtles, the Dinosaurs of the Turtle World, Are Actually 3 at-Risk Species". Scientific American.
  5. ^ Folt, B.; Guyer, C. (16 April 2015). "Evaluating recent taxonomic changes for alligator snapping turtles (Testudines: Chelydridae)". Zootaxa. 3947 (3): 447–450. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3947.3.11. PMID 25947748.
  6. ^ Reptile Database: Macrochelys temminckii. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  7. ^ Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., Bour, R. Fritz, U., Georges, A., Shaffer, H.B., and van Dijk, P.P.]. 2017. Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (8th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Pritchard, P.C.H., 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 7:1–292. doi:10.3854/crm.7.checklist.atlas.v8.2017.
  8. ^ Ronald M. Bonett, Jeff Boundy, Frank T. Burbrink, Brian I. Crother, Kevin de Queiroz, Darrel R. Frost, Richard Highton, John B. Iverson, Elizabeth L. Jockusch, Fred Kraus, Kenneth L. Krysko, Adam D. Leaché, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, Roy W. McDiarmid, Joseph R. Mendelson III, Peter A. Meylan, Tod W. Reeder, Sara Ruane, Michael E. Seidel (2017). Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular no. 43. ISBN 978-1-946681-00-3
  9. ^ Tortue Paradise
  10. ^ "Alligator snapping turtle". Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission. Retrieved 2022-10-18.