The identity of a controversial Neotropical turtle hatchling (Reptilia: Testudines: Chelidae)

The purpose of this paper is to set the correct identity of a hatchling chelid turtle, purportedly the southernmost record of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei (Bour), whose identification has been doubted repeatedly. This specimen is housed at the Zoologisches Museum Hamburg as ZMH R 1025. We determine that...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Cabrera, Mario Roberto, Bohm, Stephan
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2015
Country:Argentina
Institution:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repository:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/7976
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/7976
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Freshwater Turtles
Acanthochelys
Mesoclemmys
Taxonomy
South America
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Description
Summary:The purpose of this paper is to set the correct identity of a hatchling chelid turtle, purportedly the southernmost record of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei (Bour), whose identification has been doubted repeatedly. This specimen is housed at the Zoologisches Museum Hamburg as ZMH R 1025. We determine that the specimen is a hatchling of the Chaco side-necked turtle Acanthochelys pallidipectoris (Freiberg), species previously known from Santa Fe province. Our conclusion is supported by a string of evidence morphological, of pattern and color, and ecology.