Chelidae is one of three living families of the turtle suborder Pleurodira, and are commonly called Austro-South American side-neck turtles. The family is distributed in Australia, New Guinea, parts of Indonesia, and throughout most of South America. It is a large family of turtles with a significant fossil history dating back to the Cretaceous. The family is entirely Gondwanan in origin, with no members found outside Gondwana, either in the present day or as a fossil.
Trachemys is a genus of turtles belonging to the family Emydidae. Members of this genus are native to the Americas, ranging from the Midwestern United States south to northern Argentina, but one subspecies, the red-eared slider, has been introduced worldwide. Species under this genus are commonly referred to as sliders.
Archibald Fairly Carr Jr. was an American herpetologist, ecologist, and conservationist. He was a Professor of Zoology at the University of Florida and an acclaimed writer on science and nature. He brought attention to the world's declining sea turtle populations due to over-exploitation and habitat loss. Wildlife refuges in Florida and Costa Rica have been named in his honor.
Heosemys is a genus of freshwater turtles in the family Geoemydidae. The genus Heosemys was split out of the related genus Geoemyda by McDowell in 1964.
The Arrau turtle, 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 turtles (Pleurodira) and the largest freshwater turtle in Latin America. The species primarily feeds on plant material and typically nests in large groups on beaches. Due to hunting of adults, collecting of their eggs, pollution, habitat loss, and dams, the Arrau turtle is seriously threatened.
Oldham's leaf turtle is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae.
Peter Charles Howard Pritchard was a leading turtle zoologist. Pritchard was educated at Oxford University and the University of Florida, where he received a Ph.D. and specialized in Zoology. He was most commonly known for his career of almost 40 years for the conservation of turtles.
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 differences between them, although anatomical and largely internal, are nonetheless significant, and the zoogeographic implications of them are substantial. The Pleurodira are known more commonly as the side-necked turtles and the name Pleurodira quite literally translates to side neck, whereas the Cryptodira are known as hidden-necked turtles. The Pleurodira turtles are currently restricted to freshwater habitats in the Southern Hemisphere, largely to Australia, South America, and Africa. Within the Pleurodira, three living families are represented: Chelidae, also known as the Austro-South American side-necked turtles, the Pelomedusidae, also known as the African mud terrapins, and the Podocnemididae, also known as the American side-neck river turtles. However, they were cosmopolitan clade during the Cretaceous and most of the Cenozoic, and even occurred in marine environments around the world.
Chelonian Conservation and Biology: International Journal of Turtle and Tortoise Research is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research on freshwater turtles, marine turtles, and tortoises. It was established in 1993 by the Chelonian Research Foundation as the new scientific journal of the IUCN Species Survival Commission's Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group and the International Bulletin of Chelonian Research. The journal was first published with support from Conservation International, the Chelonian Institute, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Florida Audubon Society, and the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union.
Pritchard's snake-necked turtle is a species of turtles in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to a restricted area of Central Province, Papua New Guinea.
The Japanese pond turtle, also called commonly the Japanese pond terrapin and the Japanese pond tortoise, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae endemic to Japan. Its Japanese name is nihon ishigame, Japanese stone turtle. Its population has decreased somewhat due to habitat loss, but it is not yet considered a threatened species.
The variable mud turtle, also known as Rhodesian mud turtle, Mashona hinged terrapin or variable hinged terrapin, is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. It is widely distributed in Central, East, and Southern Africa. The species was officially described by John Hewitt in 1927 and had to be broken into subspecies due to color variations on the heads of the turtles acrost the regions.
The Zulia toad-headed sideneck, also known commonly as the Zulia toad-headed turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to Venezuela.
El Carnero is the colloquial name of a Spanish language colonial chronicle whose title was Conquista y descubrimiento del Nuevo Reino de Granada de las Indias Occidentales del mar océano, y fundacion de la ciudad de Santafé de Bogotá, ... [also known as El Carnero de Bogotá]. It is a chronicle of history and customs written in 1636-1638 by Bogota-born Juan Rodríguez Freyle.
Mesoclemmys is a genus of South American turtles in the family Chelidae.
Alfredo Toro Hardy is a Venezuelan retired career diplomat, scholar and public intellectual. During his diplomatic career, he occupied some of Venezuela's top ambassadorial posts, including Washington, London, Madrid, and Brasilia. As an academic, he has taught at several universities both in Venezuela and abroad, directed institutions in the field of foreign policy, and written extensively on international affairs. According to international relations best-selling author Parag Khanna: "Alfredo Toro Hardy is the quintessential scholar-diplomat". Renowned author and scholar Kishore Mahbubani wrote: "About 12% of the world's population lives in the West and 88% live outside. Yet, the strong, diverse voices of the 88% are rarely heard. Alfredo Toro Hardy provides one such voice that needs to be heard". British historian and author Robert Harvey stated: "One does not have to coincide with all of Toro Hardy's views in order to recognize that he is one of the most articulated and experienced voices not only from Latin America but from the developing world". Cambridge University scholar Geoffrey Hawthorn wrote: "Alfredo Toro Hardy has a rare and distinctive voice. No-one can come away from his essays without seeing the world in new ways". In recognition of his achievements in this field of knowledge, the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations made him an Honorary Research Fellow in 2019.
The scorpion mud turtle or Tabasco mud turtle is a species of mud turtle in the family Kinosternidae. It is found in Mexico, Central and South America.
Don Ellis Wilson is an American zoologist. His main research field is mammalogy, especially the group of bats which he studied in 65 countries around the world.
Pedro Trebbau was a German-born Venezuelan zoologist. His career was characterized by the promotion and preservation of Venezuelan wildlife and nature. His research and collaboration with the herpetologist Peter Pritchard produced the still-extant reference book on The Turtles of Venezuela.
Colección La Fauna is a series of books about the Fauna of Venezuela.
