The Mississippi map turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii), also known commonly as Kohn's map turtle,[3] is a subspecies of land and water turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. G. p. kohnii is native to the central United States.

Mississippi map turtle
Top: Mississippi Map Turtle; Bottom: False Map Turtle
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Emydidae
Genus: Graptemys
Species:
Subspecies:
G. p. kohnii
Trinomial name
Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii
(Baur, 1890)
Synonyms
  • Malacoclemmys kohnii
    Baur, 1890
  • Graptemys kohnii
    — Baur, 1893
  • Malaclemys lesueurii kohnii
    Siebenrock, 1909
  • Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii
    Stejneger & Barbour, 1917
  • Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni
    Mertens, 1934
  • Graptemys kohni
    Cagle, 1953
  • Malaclemys kohni
    McDowell, 1964
  • Graptemys khonii
    Ferri, 2002 (ex errore)[1]
  • Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii
    Rhodin et al., 2010[2]

Etymology

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The common name, Mississippi map turtle, derives not from the state of Mississippi, but rather from the Mississippi River.[citation needed]

The specific name, kohnii, is in honor of amateur naturalist Joseph Gustave Kohn (1837–1906) of New Orleans, Louisiana, who collected the type specimen.[4][3]

Geographic range

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G. p. kohnii is found along the Mississippi River and its tributaries, from Illinois and Missouri southward.[citation needed]

Description

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The gray carapace of G. p. kohnii is covered in yellow lines which resemble contour lines of a map.[citation needed]

Captivity

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A Mississippi map turtle swimming inside a tank.

The Mississippi map turtle is a popular pet for aquarists and is very enjoyable to watch.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 189. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. S2CID 87809001.
  2. ^ Species Graptemys pseudogeographica at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ a b Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Graptemys kohnii, p. 145).
  4. ^ Baur G (1890). "Two New Species of Tortoises from the South". Science 16 (405): 262–263. (Malacoclemmys kohnii, new species, p. 263).

Further reading

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  • Conant R (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + 48 plates. ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardback), ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Graptemys kohni, pp. 56–57 + Plates 5, 8 + Map 19).
  • Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp., 47 Plates, 207 Figures. ISBN 978-0-544-12997-9. (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii, pp. 208–209, Figure 93 + Plates 16, 21).
  • Smith HM; Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3 (paperback). (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni, pp. 50–51.)