Hydromedusa Wagler 1830, Nat. Syst. Amph. :135.
TYPE SPECIES: Emys maximiliani Mikan 1820, by monotypy.
DISTRIBUTION: Southeastern South America.
COMMENT: Discussed by Wood and Moody 1976, Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 59:69-78.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AR, BR, PY, UY.
COMMON NAME: South American snake-necked turtles.

Hydromedusa maximiliani (Mikan 1820), Delect. Flor. Faun. Brasil. :Table.
ORIGINAL NAME: Emys maximiliani.
TYPE: Holotype: NMW 23391.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Capitania St. Paulo" (=Sao Paulo), Brazil.
DISTRIBUTION: Southeastern Brazil; coastal rivers from Espirito Santo south to Sao Paulo.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BR.
COMMON NAME: Maximilian's snake-necked turtle.

Hydromedusa tectifera Cope 1870 [1869], Proc. Am. Philos. Soc. :147.
TYPE: Not located.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Monte Video," Uruguay.
DISTRIBUTION: Extreme northeastern Argentina, Uruguay, to southeastern Brazil, and probably Paraguay.
COMMENT: According to Frair 1980, Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 65B:505-511, Hydromedusa has serological similarities to Australian chelids.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AR, BR, PY, UY.
COMMON NAME: South American snake-necked turtle, Uruguay snake-necked turtle.


Phrynops Wagler 1830, Nat. Syst. Amph. :135.
TYPE SPECIES: Emys geoffroana Schweigger 1812, by monotypy.
DISTRIBUTION: South America.
COMMENT: Subgenera noted in species accounts follow Wermuth and Mertens 1977, Das Tierreich 100:129.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AR, BO, BR, CO, EC, GF, GY, PE, PY, SR, TT, UY, VE.

Phrynops dahli Zangerl and Medem 1958, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 119:376.
TYPE: Holotype: FMNH 75980.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Vicinity of Sincelejo, Bolivar, Colombia".
DISTRIBUTION: Northeastern Colombia, in vicinity of type locality.
COMMENT: Subgenus Batrachemys. Considered a subspecies of Phrynops nasutus by Wermuth and Mertens 1977, Das Tierreich 100:132. Reviewed by Medem 1966, Caldasia 9:467-489.
STATUS: Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:269-270, and listed as Indeterminate.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: CO.
COMMON NAME: Colombian toad-headed turtle, Dahl's toad-headed turtle.

Phrynops geoffroanus (Schweigger 1812), Königsberg. Arch. Naturwiss. Math. 1:302.
ORIGINAL NAME: Emys geoffroana.
TYPE: Holotype: MNHN 9417.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Habitat in Brasilia".
DISTRIBUTION: Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Paraguay.
COMMENT: Subgenus Phrynops. Phrynops tuberosus (Peters 1870) Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Berlin :311, is treated as a subspecies by Wermuth and Mertens 1977, Das Tierreich 100:130. Reviewed by Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:111-117.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BO, BR, CO, EC, GY, PE, PY, VE.
COMMON NAME: Geoffroy's sideneck turtle.

Phrynops gibbus (Schweigger 1812), Königsberg. Arch. Naturwiss. Math. 1:299.
ORIGINAL NAME: Emys gibbus.
TYPE: Holotype: MNHN 8756.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Patria ignota" (=unknown); recorded as "Amerique du Sud" in MNHN catalog.
DISTRIBUTION: Amazon and Orinoco river drainages of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and northern Brazil; the Guianas and Trinidad; and the Paraná drainage of the Paraguay river.
COMMENT: Subgenus Mesoclemmys. McDiarmid and Foster 1987, Stud. Neotrop. Fauna Environ. 22(1):3-6, showed the distribution extended to the Paraná river drainage. See also comments under Phrynops vanderhaegei. Reviewed by Mittermeier, Rhodin, Medem, Soini, Hoogmoed, and Carrillo de Espinoza 1978, Herpetologica 34(1):94; Ernst 1981, Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 279:1-2; and Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:119-125.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BR, EC, GF, GY, PE, SR, TT, VE.
COMMON NAME: Keel-backed sidenecked turtle, Gibba turtle.

Phrynops hilarii (Duméril and Bibron 1835), Erpét. Gén. Hist. Nat. Rept. 2:428.
ORIGINAL NAME: Platemys hilarii.
TYPE: Holotype: MNHN 8757.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Bresil"
DISTRIBUTION: Southeastern South America; Rio Parana and Paraguay drainages of southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, and probably Bolivia.
COMMENT: Subgenus Phrynops.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AR, BO, BR, PY, UY.
COMMON NAME: Hilaire's side-necked turtle.

Phrynops hogei Mertens 1967, Senckenb. Biol. 48:74.
TYPE: Holotype: SMF 62530.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Rio Pequena, sudwestlich von Sao Paulo, Brasilien".
DISTRIBUTION: Coastal rivers in Espirito Santo, southern Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and possibly Sao Paulo, Brazil.
COMMENT: Subgenus Phrynops. Reviewed by Rhodin, Mittermeier, da Rocha e Silva 1982, Copeia (1):179-181.
STATUS: Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:271, and listed as Indeterminate.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BR.
COMMON NAME: Hoge's side-necked turtle.

Phrynops nasutus (Schweigger 1812), Königsberg. Arch. Naturwiss. Math. 1:298.
ORIGINAL NAME: Emys nasuta.
TYPE: Holotype: MNHN 4140.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Patria ignota" (=unknown); designated as Guianas and northeastern Amazonia, by Lescure and Fretey, 1975, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Zool. 239:1318.
DISTRIBUTION: Amazon and Orinoco drainages of Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil; east through the Guianas.
COMMENT: Subgenus Batrachemys. See comment under Phrynops dahli; also includes Phrynops wermuthi Mertens 1969, Senckenb. Biol. 50:32, which Lescure and Fretey 1975, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Zool. 239:1317-1328 , treat as a subspecies of nasutus. Reviewed by Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:127-133.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BO, BR, CO, GF, GY, SR, PE, VE.
COMMON NAME: Common toad-headed sideneck turtle.

Phrynops rufipes (Spix 1824), Anim. Spec. Nov. Testud. Brasil :7.
ORIGINAL NAME: Emys rufipes.
TYPE: Holotype: ZSM 3006, 0.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Rio Solimoens" (=Rio Solimoes), South America.
DISTRIBUTION: Upper Amazon in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil.
COMMENT: Subgenus Phrynops. Reviewed by Lamar and Medem 1984, Salamandra 18(3, 4):305-321. Preliminary serological relationships presented by Frair 1982, Herp Bull. New York Herpet. Soc. 17(2):4-9.
STATUS: Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:273-4, and listed as Insufficiently Known.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BR, CO, PE.
COMMON NAME: Red turtle, Red-footed Amazon sideneck turtle, Red-headed sideneck turtle.

Phrynops tuberculatus (Luederwaldt 1926), Rev. Mus. Paulista, Sao Paulo 14:437.
ORIGINAL NAME: Rhinemys tuberculata.
TYPES: 2 Syntypes: MZUSP 43, 81.
TYPE LOCALITY: Villa Nova, Bahia, Brazil.
DISTRIBUTION: Eastern Brazil; the Rio Sao Francisco and nearby coastal rivers.
COMMENT: Subgenus Batrachemys. Bour 1973, Bull. Soc. Zool. France 98:175-190, reviewed this species. See comment under Phrynops vanderhaegei.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BR.
COMMON NAME: Tuberculate toad-headed turtle.

Phrynops vanderhaegei (Bour 1973), Bull. Soc. Zool. France 98:184.
ORIGINAL NAME: Phrynops tuberculatus vanderhaegei.
TYPE: Holotype: MNHN 1977-50.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Environ d'Asuncion au Paraguay" (=around Asuncion, Paraguay).
DISTRIBUTION: Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana drainages of Paraguay, northern Argentina, and Brazil, and probably Bolivia and Uruguay.
COMMENT: Subgenus Batrachemys. Treated as a subspecies of Phrynops tuberculatus by Wermuth and Mertens 1977, Das Tierreich 100:133. After comparing the two, McDiarmid and Foster 1987, Stud. Neotrop. Fauna Environ. 22(1):3-6, could find no consistent way to separate P. vanderhaegei from P. gibbus.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AR, BO, BR, PY, UY.
COMMON NAME: Vanderhaege's toad-headed turtle.

Phrynops williamsi Rhodin and Mittermeier 1983, In: Rhodin and Miyata, Adv. Herp. Evol. Biol. :59.
TYPE: Holotype: MCZ 64135.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Rio Cadea, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil".
DISTRIBUTION: Uruguay and adjacent extreme southern Brazil, and presumably adjacent Argentina.
COMMENT: Subgenus Phrynops. Reviewed by Rhodin and Mittermeier 1983, In: Rhodin and Miyata, Adv. Herp. Evol. Biol. :59. Apparently closely related to Phrynops geoffroanus.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AR, BR, UY.
COMMON NAME: Williams's South American toad-headed turtle.

Phrynops zuliae Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:135-142.
TYPE: Holotype: UF 53439.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Cano Madre Vieja near El Guayabo, Distrito Colon, Edo. Zulia, Venezuela (8°53'N, 72°30'W)".
DISTRIBUTION: Rivers of the Cienaga de Juan Manuel de Aguas Claras flowing into the western side of Lake Maricaibo, Venezuela.
COMMENT: Subgenus Batrachemys. Reviewed by Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:135-142, and Pritchard 1987, Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 404:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: VE.
COMMON NAME: Zulia toad-headed sideneck.


Platemys Wagler 1830, Nat. Syst. Amph. :135.
TYPE SPECIES: Testudo planiceps Schoepf 1801 (=Testudo platycephala Schneider 1792), by monotypy.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the single species.
COMMENT: Reviewed by Ernst 1987, Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 405:1; and biochemical systematics reviewed by Derr, Bickham, Greenbaum, Rhodin, and Mittermeier 1987, Copeia (2):370-375. Based on McBee, Bickham, Rhodin, and Mittermeier 1985, Copeia (2):445-449, Iverson 1986, Checklist Turt. World :197, resurrected Acanthochelys Gray 1873 for the taxa macrocephala, pallidipectoris, radiolata, and spixii previously placed in Platemys.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AR, BO, BR, EC, GF, GY, PE, PY, SR, UY, VE.
COMMON NAME: Twistnecked turtles.

Platemys platycephala (Schneider 1792), Schr. Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin 10:261.
ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo platycephala and Testudo planiceps.
TYPE: Holotype: Undesignated.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Ost-Indien" (in error); restricted to "Cayenne, French Guiana" by Ernst 1983, J. Herpet. 17(4):350.
DISTRIBUTION: Orinoco and Amazon river drainages of northern South America; Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia; and Guianas.
COMMENT: Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:143-150, reviewed the species and revealed the confusion resulting from use of both T. platycephala and T. planiceps for this species in the original description by Schneider 1792, Schr. Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin 10:261. They explain in detail why the Intl. Comm. Zool. Nomencl. should conserve the established name platycephala, rather than the correct but confusing and little used planiceps. Reviewed by Ernst 1987, Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 405:1-4; and McBee, Bickham, Rhodin, and Mittermeier 1985, Copeia (2):445-449. Ernst 1983, J. Herpet. 17(4):345-355, reported on geographic variation.
REVIEWER: C. Ernst.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BO, BR, CO, EC, GF, GY, PE, SR, VE.
COMMON NAME: Twistnecked turtle, Grooved sideneck turtle.


Rheodytes Legler and Cann 1980, Contrib. Sci. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles Co. 324:2.
TYPE SPECIES: Rheodytes leukops Legler and Cann 1980, by monotypy.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the single species.
COMMENT: Ignoring the original detailed diagnosis of Legler and Cann, and without justification, Wells and Wellington 1983, Australian J. Rept. 1(3-4):74, placed Rheodytes in the synonymy of Elseya Gray 1867.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AU.
COMMON NAME: Fitzroy River turtle.

Rheodytes leukops Legler and Cann 1980, Contrib. Sci. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles Co. 324:2.
TYPE: Holotype: QM J31701.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Fitzroy River, 63 km N and 25 km E of Duaringa, elevation 40 m, 23°09'S, 149°55'E, Queensland, Australia".
DISTRIBUTION: Fitzroy River drainage of eastern Queensland, Australia.
COMMENT: Reviewed by Legler and Cann 1980, Contrib. Sci. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles Co. 324:1-18. See comments under Rheodytes.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AU.
COMMON NAME: Fitzroy River turtle.


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