Yellow-spotted river turtle

Yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle
Adult at Krefeld Zoo
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: Podocnemis
Species:
P. unifilis
Binomial name
Podocnemis unifilis
Troschel, 1848[3]
Synonyms
  • Emys cayennensis Schweigger, 1812: 298.[4]
  • Chelys (Hydraspis) Cayennensis, Gray, 1831: 17[5]
  • Hydraspis Cayennensis, Gray, 1831: 42
  • Emys Terekay Schinz, 1833: 41
  • Podocnemis dumeriliana Duméril & Bibron, 1835: 387 (in part)
  • Podocnemis unifilis Troschel, 1848: 647
  • Podocnemis tracaya Coutinho, 1868: 149
  • Chelonemys dumeriliana, Gray, 1870: 83 (in part)
  • Podocnemis cayennensis, Siebenrock, 1902: 1623

The yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle[6] (Podocnemis unifilis), also known commonly as the yellow-headed sideneck turtle and the yellow-spotted river turtle, and locally as the taricaya, is one of the largest South American river turtles.

Podocnemis unifilis is a type of side-necked turtles, so called because they do not pull their heads directly into their shells, but rather bend their necks sideways to tuck their heads under the rim of their shells. Side-neck turtles are classified as members of the suborder Pleurodira.

  1. ^ Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (2016) [errata version of 1996 assessment]. "Podocnemis unifilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T17825A97397562. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T17825A7506933.en. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ Troschel, H. (1848). Amphibien, p. 645-661. In Schomburgk, R. (ed.), Versuch einer Zusammenstellung der Fauna and Flora von Britisch-Guiana. Leipzig.
  4. ^ Schweigger, A.F. (1812). Prodromus monographiae cheloniorum. Konigsbergeiv Für Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik. 1:271-368.
  5. ^ Gray, J.E. (1831). Synopsis Reptilium or short descriptions of the species of reptiles. Part 1. Cataphracta, tortoises, crocodiles, and enaliosaurians. Treuttel, Wurtz & Co., London.
  6. ^ Podocnemis unifilis, Reptile Database