''Emydura'', the Australian short-necked turtles, are a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
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 t ...
s in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Chelidae. It was
paraphyletic with ''
Elseya
''Elseya'' is a genus of large side-necked turtles, commonly known as Australian snapping turtles, in the family Chelidae. Species in the genus ''Elseya'' are found in river systems in northern and northeastern Australia and throughout the river ...
''. Consequently, it was split into two genera ''
Myuchelys'' and ''Elseya'' by Thomson & Georges, 2009.
[Thomson, S. & Georges, A. (2009) ''Myuchelys'' gen. nov. —a new genus for ''Elseya latisternum'' and related forms of Australian freshwater turtle (]Testudines
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 t ...
: Pleurodira
The Pleurodira are one of the two living suborders of turtles, the other being the Cryptodira. The division between these two suborders represents a very deep evolutionary divide between two very different types of turtles. The physical differen ...
: Chelidae) Zootaxa
''Zootaxa'' is a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press (Auckland, New Zealand). The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a week ...
2053: 32–42.
They can grow quite large,
30 cm or more is not unusual and have a life span of around 20–30 years. They generally do not hibernate as their warmer climate lets them remain active all year round; they also spend more time in the water than other varieties.
They are considered omnivore but rely on a constant supply of meat to remain healthy, feeding on basically anything that will fit into their mouth.
They are characterised by a white strip starting at their nose and leading down their neck, as well as a more rigged shell.
In Australia, the public require a basic reptiles licence to purchase these animals; taking from the wild is strictly prohibited.
Species
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 ...
and notable
subspecies arranged according to most recent review of Georges & Thomson, 2010
with some modification after Kehlmaier et al. 2019
[Kehlmaier, C., Zhang, X., Georges, A., Campbell, P.D., Thomson, S., & Fritz, U. 2019. Mitogenomics of historical type specimens of Australasian turtles: clarification of taxonomic confusion and old mitochondrial introgression. Scientific Reports (2019) 9:5841 , https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-42310-x] are:
*
Northern red-faced turtle, ''
Emydura australis'', (Gray, 1841)
* ''
Emydura gunaleni'', Smales, McCord, Cann, & Joseph-Ouni, 2019
*
Macquarie turtle, ''
Emydura macquarii'', (Gray, 1830)
[Gray, J.E. 1830. A synopsis of the species of the class Reptilia. pp 1-110 in Griffith, E. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organisation by the Baron Cuvier. London: Whitaker and Treacher and Co. 9:481 + 110pp.]
** Murray river turtle, ''Emydura macquarii macquarii''
** Krefft's turtle, ''Emydura macquarii krefftii''
** Fraser island short-neck turtle, ''Emydura macquarii nigra''
** Cooper creek turtle, ''Emydura macquarii emmotti''
*
Red-bellied short-necked turtle or Jardine River Turtle, ''
Emydura subglobosa'', (Krefft 1876)
[ Krefft, G. 1876. Notes on Australian animals in New Guinea with description of a new freshwater tortoise belonging to the genus ''Euchelymys''. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale de Genova. 1:390-394.]
** Red-bellied short-necked turtle, ''Emydura subglobosa subglobosa''
** Worrell's short-necked turtle, ''Emydura subglobosa worrelli''
*
Northern yellow-faced turtle, ''
Emydura tanybaraga'', Cann, 1997
[Cann, J. 1997. The northern yellow-faced turtle. Monitor 9(1):24-29, 34-35.]
*
Victoria river red-faced turtle, ''
Emydura victoriae'', (Gray 1841)
[Gray, J.E. 1841. Description of some hitherto unrecorded species of Australian reptiles and batrachians. pp 51-57. in Gray, J.E. Zoological Miscellaney. London: Treutal, Wurtz and Co.]
file:Krefft's River Turtle2.jpg, Kreftt's river turtle
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2710616
Turtle genera
Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Turtles of Australia