Spotted box turtle | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Testudines |
Suborder: | Cryptodira |
Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
Family: | Emydidae |
Genus: | Terrapene |
Species: | T. nelsoni |
Binomial name | |
Terrapene nelsoni Stejneger, 1925 | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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The spotted box turtle (Terrapene nelsoni) is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico.
The specific name, nelsoni, is in honor of American biologist Edward William Nelson. [3]
Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies (listed in alphabetical order by subspecific name). [4]
Blanding's turtle is a semi-aquatic turtle of the family Emydidae. This species is native to central and eastern parts of Canada and the United States. It is considered to be an endangered species throughout much of its range. Blanding's turtle is of interest in longevity research, as it shows little to no common signs of aging and is physically active and capable of reproduction into eight or nine decades of life.
Pseudemys is a genus of large, herbivorous, freshwater turtles of the eastern United States and adjacent northeast Mexico. They are often referred to as cooters, which stems from kuta, the word for turtle in the Bambara and Malinké languages, brought to America by enslaved people from Africa.
North American box turtles are turtles of the genus Terrapene. Although box turtles are superficially similar to tortoises in terrestrial habits and overall appearance, they are actually members of the American pond turtle family (Emydidae). The 12 taxa which are distinguished in the genus are distributed over seven species. They are largely characterized by having a domed shell which is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to retract its head and legs and close its shell tightly to protect itself from predators.
The eastern box turtle is a subspecies within a group of hinge-shelled turtles normally called box turtles. T. c. carolina is native to the eastern part of the United States.
Georg Baur (1859–1898) was a German vertebrate paleontologist and Neo-Lamarckian who studied reptiles of the Galapagos Islands, particularly the Galápagos tortoises, in the 1890s. He is perhaps best known for his subsidence theory of the origin of the Galapagos Islands, where he postulated the islands were the remains of a former landmass, connected to South America via Cocos Island.
The common box turtle is a species of box turtle with six existing subspecies. It is found throughout the Eastern United States and Mexico. The box turtle has a distinctive hinged lowered shell that allows it to completely enclose itself. Its upper jaw is long and curved.
Terrapene ornata is a species of North American box turtle sometimes referred to as the western box turtle or the ornate box turtle. It is one of two recognized species of box turtle in the United States, having two subspecies. The second recognized species of box turtle is the eastern box turtle,Terrapene carolina. T. carolina has six subspecies, two of which are endemic to Mexico.
The Mexican box turtle is a species of box turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of Terrapene carolina.
The Texas map turtle is a species of emydid turtle endemic to Texas.
Pan's box turtle is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. The yellow-headed box turtle is sometimes included herein as a subspecies.
The Coahuilan box turtle, also known commonly as the aquatic box turtle, is an endangered species of turtle in the family Emydidae. Unlike the other members of the genus Terrapene, this turtle spends roughly 90% of its time in water.
The Central Antillean slider is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is found on three islands in the West Indies: Hispaniola, Great Inagua, and Puerto Rico.
The Florida box turtle is a subspecies of turtle belonging to the family Emydidae and is one of six extant subspecies of the common box turtle
Herrera's mud turtle is a species of mud turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is endemic to Mexico.
The southern spotted box turtle is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. It is endemic to Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico.
The northern spotted box turtle, also commonly known as Klauber's box turtle and Klauber's spotted box turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae.
Box turtle is the common name for several species of turtle. It may refer to those of the genus Cuora or Pyxidea, which are the Asian box turtles, or more commonly to species of the genus Terrapene, the North American box turtles. They are largely characterized by having a shell shaped like a dome, which is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to close its shell tightly to escape predators. Furthermore, the two genera are very different in habitat, behavior and appearance, and are not even classified in the same family. Even though box turtles became very popular pets, their needs in captivity are complex and the capture of turtles can have serious detrimental effects on the wild population.
Stejneger L (1925). "New species and subspecies of American turtles". J. Washington Acad. Sci.15 (20): 462–463. (Terrapene nelsoni, new species, p. 463).