''Chelus'' is a genus of freshwater
turtle
Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked tu ...
s found in
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
.
Formerly considered to be a
monotypic genus, it now consists of two species after ''
Chelus orinocensis
''Chelus orinocensis'' is a freshwater turtle found in South America, primarily in the Orinoco basin. It was split off from '' Chelus fimbriata'' in 2020.
Discovery via genomic analysis
A genomic analysis of the mata mata was reported in 2020, ...
'' was identified in 2020 from a genomic analysis.
Species
*''
Chelus fimbriatus
Matamata () is a town in Waikato, New Zealand. It is located near the base of the Kaimai Ranges, and is a thriving farming area known for Thoroughbred horse breeding and training pursuits. It is part of the Matamata-Piako District, which takes ...
''
*''
Chelus orinocensis
''Chelus orinocensis'' is a freshwater turtle found in South America, primarily in the Orinoco basin. It was split off from '' Chelus fimbriata'' in 2020.
Discovery via genomic analysis
A genomic analysis of the mata mata was reported in 2020, ...
''
References
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