The Sulawesi forest turtle (''Leucocephalon yuwonoi'') is a
critically endangered species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
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 ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Geoemydidae. The species is
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
within the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''Leucocephalon''.
It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.
Etymology
The
specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''yuwonoi'', is in honor of Indonesian herpetologist
Frank Bambang Yuwono (born 1958).
Habitat
The preferred natural
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s of ''L. yuwonoi'' are freshwater swamps and rivers.
[
]
Conservation
As of 2016 The Riverview Zoo in Peterborough, Ontario, had managed to hatch two Sulawesi forest turtles.
See also
* Forsten's tortoise (''Indotestudo forstenii)'' – another threatened turtle endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia.
References
Further reading
* Artner H (2008). "The world's extant turtle species, Part 1". ''Emys'' 15 (3): 4–32. (''Notochelys yuwonoi'', new combination, p. 10).
* Fritz U, Obst FJ (1996). "''Zur Kenntnis der Celebes-Erdschildkröte, ''Heosemys yuwonoi'' (McCord, Iverson & Boeadi, 1995)''". ''Herpetofauna'' 18 (102): 27–34. (''Heosemys yuwonoi'', new combination). (in German).
* McCord WP, Iverson JB, Boeadi (1995). "A New Batagurid Turtle from Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia". ''Chelonian Conservation and Biology'' 1 (4): 311–316. (''Geoemyda yuwonoi'', new species).
*McCord WP, Iverson JB, Spinks, Shaffer HB (2000). "A new genus of geoemydid turtle from Asia". ''Hamadryad'' 25 (2): 20–24. (''Leucocephalon'', new genus; ''L. yuwonoi'', new combination).
Geoemydidae
Reptiles of Indonesia
Reptiles described in 1995
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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