Madagascan big-headed turtle

Madagascan big-headed turtle
Photographed at Berenty Reserve
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Pleurodira
Family: Podocnemididae
Genus: Erymnochelys
Baur, 1888
Species:
E. madagascariensis
Binomial name
Erymnochelys madagascariensis

The Madagascan big-headed turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis)[1] is a turtle native to the waters of permanent slow moving rivers and lakes in western Madagascar. These turtles are critically endangered and have been evaluated to be the most endangered turtle in the world by a 2018 review.[3] Due to its ancient origins and threatened status, it is ranked as #1 on the EDGE of Existence programme's list of priority reptiles.[4]

  1. ^ a b c Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the world, 2010 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status" (PDF). Chelonian Research Monographs. 5: 000.136. doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v3.2010. ISBN 978-0965354097. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-17.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ Gumbs, Rikki; Gray, Claudia; Wearn, Oliver; Owen, Nisha (2018). "Tetrapods on the EDGE: Overcoming data limitations to identify phylogenetic conservation priorities" (PDF). PLOS ONE. 13 (4): e0194680. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1394680G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0194680. PMC 5894989. PMID 29641585.
  4. ^ "Species". EDGE of Existence. Retrieved 2023-06-07.