''Podocnemis'' is a

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 ...

of aquatic turtles, commonly known as South American river turtles, 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 ...

Podocnemididae Podocnemididae is a family of pleurodire (side-necked) turtles, once widely distributed. Most of its 20 genera and 30 species are now extinct. Seven of its eight surviving species are native to South America: the genus ''Peltocephalus'', with onl ...

. The genus consists of six

extant Extant is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to: * Extant hereditary titles * Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English * Extant taxon, a taxon which is not extinct, ...

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 ...

occurring in tropical

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 ...

.''Podocnemis''
The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Three additional species are known only from fossils.

Species

These six species are extant. *''Podocnemis erythrocephala'' –

red-headed Amazon River turtle The red-headed Amazon side-necked turtle,Arrau turtle The Arrau turtle (''Podocnemis expansa''), also known as the South American river turtle, giant South American turtle, giant Amazon River turtle, Arrau sideneck turtle, Amazon River turtle or simply the Arrau, is the largest of the side-neck tu ...

*''Podocnemis lewyana'' –

Magdalena River turtle The Magdalena River turtle or Rio Magdalena river turtle (''Podocnemis lewyana'') is a species of turtle in the family Podocnemididae,six-tubercled Amazon River turtle The six-tubercled Amazon River turtle yellow-spotted river turtle The yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle (''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. It ...

, yellow-headed sideneck *''Podocnemis vogli'' –

savanna side-necked turtle The savanna side-necked turtle www.reptile-database.org. (''Podocnemis vogli''), also commonly known as the Llanos side-necked turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Podocnemididae. The species is endemic to South America. Etymology The ...

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Podocnemis''.

Fossil species

The following three species are extinct, all from late Neogene deposits in South America: *''

Podocnemis bassleri ''Podocnemis'' is a genus of aquatic turtles, commonly known as South American river turtles, in the family Podocnemididae. The genus consists of six extant species occurring in tropical South America.

'' † *''

Podocnemis medemi ''Podocnemis'' is a genus of aquatic turtles, commonly known as South American river turtles, in the family Podocnemididae. The genus consists of six extant species occurring in tropical South America.

'' †Wood RC (1997). "Turtles". In: Kay RF, Madden RH, Cifelli RL, Flynn JJ (editors). ''Vertebrate Paleontology in the Neotropics. The Miocene Fauna of La Venta, Colombia''. Washington, District of Columbia: Smithsonian Institution Press. * ''

Podocnemis pritchardi ''Podocnemis'' is a genus of aquatic turtles, commonly known as South American river turtles, in the family Podocnemididae. The genus consists of six extant species occurring in tropical South America.

'' †

The Late Cretaceous (

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous Series. An age is a unit of geochronology; it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in the s ...

) species ''"Podocnemis" parva'' Haas, 1978, based on remains from the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

, is now assigned to '' Algorachelus'', as ''A. parvus''.

Species

Fossil species

References

Further reading