The identity of Chelodina oblonga Gray 1841 (Testudines: Chelidae) reassessed
Author
Shea, Glenn
Sydney School of Veterinary Science, B 01, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia & Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William St, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
Author
Thomson, Scott
Chelonian Research Institute, 402 South Central Avenue, Oviedo, 32765, Florida, USA
Author
Georges, Arthur
Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-05-20
4779
3
419
437
journal article
21355
10.11646/zootaxa.4779.3.9
e39a9333-f0b8-4b2d-b0b1-ff53ae849ae0
1175-5326
3974820
A3CE4100-EDB7-465D-BDCF-1DFAC31EEA3D
3.2.2. Subgenus:
Chelodina
(
Macrochelodina
)
Wells & Wellington 1985: 9
, this study.
Type
species:
Chelodina oblonga
J.
Gray, 1841
, by original designation.
Synonymy:
Macrodiremys
McCord & Joseph-Ouni 2007a: 57
.
Type species:
Chelodina oblonga
J.
Gray, 1841
, by original designation (but sensu their invalidly designated
neotype
– see
Kuchling, 2010
for discussion).
Revised Diagnosis: Carapace broadly oblong, flattened dorsally and furrowed along midline; deep reticulated ornamentation of shell often present. Carapace elongated anteriorly and shortened posteriorly giving a narrow carapace with negligible posterior flaring; generalised reduction of carapace margins anteriorly and posteriorly; 5–8 (
Smales 2019
) exposed coffin-shaped neurals present. Anterior bridge strut small, sharply angled posteriorly with minimal suture surface with pleural 1; posterior bridge strut small, does not contact pleurals. Plastron long, narrow, more than twice as long as width measured immediately anterior to bridge, covering only about half of anterior orifice of shell in ventral view. Ilium in contact with posterior half of 8th pleural and pygal. Head and neck length, when fully extended, longer than carapace length; dorsum of neck finely reticulated, lacking obvious tubercles. Atlas (C1) moderately elongated; cervical vertebrae 2–4 greatly elongated (centrum about three times as long as wide). Transverse processes of cervical vertebrae thin and bladelike. Hyolaryngeal assemblage highly modified; elongation of corpus hyoideum along sulcus tracheae; anterior cornubranchiale expanded but not flattened throughout length, elongated, but not extending beyond posterior cornubranchiale; epibranchials cartilaginous throughout life.
Assigned Species:
Chelodina oblonga
J.
Gray 1841
.
Vernacular name: Oblong turtle