Turtle, Tuatara, Crocodile Checklist--3

ORDER: Rhynchocephalia Günther 1867, Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc. 157:595-629.: DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.
CONTRIBUTOR: W. King.

FAMILY: Sphenodontidae Cope 1870, Proc. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci. 19:235.: CONTRIBUTOR: W. King.
REVIEWER: M. Hoogmoed, C.A. Ross.
COMMON NAME: Tuataras.

Sphenodon Gray 1831, Zool. Misc., Pt. 1:14.: TYPE SPECIES: Hatteria punctata Gray 1842.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the only species.
COMMENT: Name emended from original Sphaenodon Gray 1831, and conserved by Intl. Comm. Zool. Nomen. 1957, Opinion 455.
CONTRIBUTOR: W. King
REVIEWER: M. Hoogmoed, C.A. Ross.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: NZ
COMMON NAME: Tuataras.
Sphenodon punctatus (Gray 1842). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections. Sphenodon punctatus (Gray 1842), Zool. Misc., Pt. 2:72.: ORIGINAL NAME: Hatteria punctata.
TYPE SPECIES: Hatteria punctata Gray 1842, Zool. Misc. Pt. 2:72, by monotypy.
TYPE: BMNH.
TYPE LOCALITY: Karewa Island, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.
DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand, islands off of North Island and in Cook Strait.
COMMENT: Robb 1980, New Zealand Amph. Rept. :31-38, gave a popular review.
CONTRIBUTOR: W. King.
REVIEWER: P. Brazaitis, K. Dodd, M. Hoogmoed, C.A. Ross.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Endangered. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:415-417, and listed as Rare. See Honegger 1986, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-306.001.001.001:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: NZ.
COMMON NAME: Tuatara.

ORDER: Testudines Batsch 1788, Versuch Anleit. Kenntn. Gesch. Thiere Min. 1:437.: DISTRIBUTION: Worldwide in temperate and tropical regions.
COMMENT: Gaffney and Meylan 1988, Phylogeny Turt. :157-219, present a phylogeny and systematic review of all living and extinct turtles to genus. Gaffney 1975, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 155:387-436, studied the phylogeny of turtles, reviewed the history of classification, and presented a new classification. Bickham and Baker 1976, Chromosoma (Berl.) 54:201-219, and Bickham and Carr 1983, Copeia (4):918-932, discussed phylogeny of turtles and reached conclusions partly at variance with Gaffney. Wermuth and Mertens 1977, Das Tierreich 100:1-174, presented synonymies for most of the species. Dowling and Duellman 1978, Syst. Herpet. 53.1-68.1, presented a review of the literature of turtle systematics. Iverson 1986, Checklist Turt. World :1-282, reviewed all species and many subspecies. Pritchard 1979, Encycl. Turt. :1-895, summarized much of the information on turtle biology and (p. 98-103) compared the various higher classifications. Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:1-402, presented detailed synonymys, historical reviews, and biological data on many families. Mlynarski 1976, Handbuch Paläoherpetol. Testudines 7:1-130, reviewed the fossil forms as well as their taxonomy. Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:17-19, summarized the nomenclatural history of the group name and argued for the retention of Linnaeus as the author of the group name.
CONTRIBUTOR: J. Iverson.
REVIEWERS: C. Ernst, P. Pritchard, A. Rhodin, G. Zug.

SUBORDER: Cryptodira Cope 1869 [1868], Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 20:282.: DISTRIBUTION: Worldwide in temperate and tropical countries.
COMMENT: Gaffney 1975, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 155(5):387-436, reviewed the group and offered a new classification arrangement, see also Smith and Smith 1979, Synop. Herpet. Mexico Turt. 6:20-21.

FAMILY: Carettochelydidae Lydekker 1887, Palaeont. Ind. 10:61.: DISTRIBUTION: As for the single species.
COMMENT: Meylan 1987, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 186(1):1-101, demonstrated the close interfamilial relationship between the Trionychidae, Carettochelyidae, Dermatemydidae, and Kinosternidae. Gaffney 1975, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 155:387-436, also showed close relationship to Trionychidae; but see Frair 1983, J. Herpet. 17:75-79. See Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger 1983, Zool. Cat. Australia Amph. Rept. 1:65, for synonymy and literature review.

Carettochelys Ramsay 1886 [1887], Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales (2)1(1):158.: TYPE SPECIES: Carettochelys insculpta Ramsay 1886, by monotypy.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the only species.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AU, ID, PG.
Carettochelys insculpta Ramsay 1886 [1887], Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales (2)1(1):158.: ORIGINAL NAME: Carettochelys insculptus (typographic error).
TYPE: Holotype: AMS R3677
TYPE LOCALITY: Fly River, southeastern Papua New Guinea.
DISTRIBUTION: Southern New Guinea and northern Northern Territory, Australia.
COMMENT: Reviewed by Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger 1983, Zool. Cat. Australia Amph. Rept. 1:65. Serological survey in Frair 1985, J. Herpet. 19(4):515-523.
STATUS: Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:243-246, and listed as Insufficiently Known.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AU, ID, PG.
COMMON NAME: Pitted-shell turtle, Pig-nose turtle, Fly River turtle, New Guinea plateless river turtle.

FAMILY: Cheloniidae Gray 1825, Ann. Philos. (2)10:212.: DISTRIBUTION: Circumtropical, seasonally following warm currents deep into temperate regions.
COMMENT: Taxonomy history and literature review for Mexican species supplied by Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:254-255, who suggested the family name should be attributed to Gray 1825 and that the Carettinae and Cheloniinae were only tribally, and not subfamilially, distinct. Frair 1979, Herpetologica 35(3):239-244, and Frair 1982, Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 72B:1-4, suggested that the Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae were only distinct at the level of subfamilies. He also suggested that the former subfamilial arrangement, Cheloniinae and Carettinae (the latter for Caretta and Lepidochelys) was untenable, because Eretmochelys was more closely related to Lepidochelys and Caretta than to Chelonia. Reviewed by Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:269-280, who considered the Dermochelyidae to be distinct from the Cheloniidae, and argued against tribal or subfamilial division of the latter family on the grounds of uncertain allocation of the many fossil genera and ambiguous relationships among the living species. Synonymies and literature review of Australian species in Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger 1983, Zool. Cat. Australia Amph. Rept. 1:66-70. Zangerl, Hendrickson, and Hendrickson 1988, Bishop Mus. Bull. Zool. 1:1-69, reviewed and compared all living species of sea turtles.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier, G. Zug.

Caretta Rafinesque 1814, Specchio Sci. Sicilia 2(9):66.: TYPE SPECIES: Caretta nasuta Rafinesque 1814 (=Testudo caretta Linnaeus 1758), by monotypy.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the single species.
CONTRIBUTOR: K. Dodd.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AG, AN, AO, AS, AU, BB, BD, BM, BR, BS, BU, BZ, CA, CI, CM, CN, CO, CR, CU, CV, CY, DO, EG, ET, GB, GF, GH, GQ, GR, GT, GW, GY, HK, HN, HT, ID, IE, IL, IN, IR, IT, JM, JP, KE, KM, KR, KY, LK, LY, MA, MG, MR, MT, MU, MX, MY, MZ, NC, NI, NZ, OM, PA, PG, PK, PR, PT, RE, SA, SB, SC, SG, SN, SO, SR, TC, TH, TN, TR, TT, TW, TZ, US, VE, ZA.
COMMON NAME: Loggerhead turtles.
Caretta caretta (Linnaeus 1758). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections. Caretta caretta (Linnaeus 1758), Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1:197.: ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo caretta.
TYPE: None designated.
TYPE LOCALITY: "insulas Americanas"; restricted to "the Bermuda Islands" by Smith and Taylor 1950, Bull. U. S. Natl. Mus. 199:16; restricted to "Bimini, British Bahamas," by Schmidt 1953, Check List N. Am. Amph. Rept., ed. 6:107.
DISTRIBUTION: Tropical and subtropical seas, infrequent around oceanic islands or in the eastern Pacific.
COMMENT: Linnaeus' Testudo caretta was a composite of Caretta caretta and Eretmochelys; see Brongersma 1961, Zool. Verhand. Rijksmus. Nat. Hist. 51:1-46; and Wallin 1985, Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 85:121-130. Reviewed by Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger 1983, Zool. Cat. Australia Amph. Rept. 1:66-68, and Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:303-318.
CONTRIBUTOR: K. Dodd.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I; Berne Convention: Appendix II; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Threatened. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:137-149, and listed as Vulnerable. Honegger 1981, Handb. Rept. Amph. Europas Suppl. :103-105, assayed Caretta caretta caretta for the Council of Europe and listed it as Endangered, and nominally protected by law in Cyprus, Italy, and Greece. See Honegger 1982, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.003.001.001:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AG, AN, AO, AS, AU, BB, BD, BM, BR, BS, BU, BZ, CA, CI, CM, CN, CO, CR, CU, CV, CY, DO, EG, ET, GB, GF, GH, GQ, GR, GT, GW, GY, HK, HN, HT, ID, IE, IL, IN, IR, IT, JM, JP, KE, KM, KR, KY, LK, LY, MA, MG, MR, MT, MU, MX, MY, MZ, NC, NI, NZ, OM, PA, PG, PK, PR, PT, RE, SA, SB, SC, SG, SN, SO, SR, TC, TH, TN, TR, TT, TW, TZ, US, VE, ZA.
COMMON NAME: Loggerhead, Cabezon, Caguama, Cayuma, Tortuga boba, Caounne, Coffre, Tortue à bahut, Cayuanne.

Chelonia Brongniart 1800, Bull. Sci. Soc. Philomath. 2:89.: TYPE SPECIES: Testudo mydas Linnaeus 1758, by subsequent designation of Bell 1828, Zool. J. London 3:515.
DISTRIBUTION: All tropical and subtropical seas.
COMMENT: Stejneger 1907, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 58:509, points out that Chelonia as originally published by Brongniart 1800 is a nomen nudum. Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:279, agree and indicate that Latreille 1801, apparently used Chelonia as a "famille" name and not as a genus. Chelone Brongniart 1805 seems to be the valid name. However, action by the Intl. Comm. Zool. Nomen. is needed to settle the issue. Reviewed by Hirth 1980, Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 248:1-2; and Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger 1983, Zool. Cat. Australia Amph. Rept. 1:66-68.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier, G. Zug.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AE, AG, AI, AN, AO, AR, AS, AU, BB, BD, BJ, BM, BN, BR, BS, BU, BZ, CA, CC, CD, CG, CI, CK, CL, CM, CN, CO, CR, CU, CV, CX, CY, DJ, DM, DO, EC, EG, EH, ES, ET, FJ, FM, FR, GA, GD, GF, GH, GM, GN, GP, GQ, GR, GT, GU, GW, GY, HK, HN, HT, ID, IL, IN, IO, IQ, IR, JM, JP, KE, KH, KI, KM, KN, KR, KW, KY, LC, LK, LR, MA, MG, MH, MI, MQ, MR, MS, MT, MU, MV, MX, MY, MZ, NC, NG, NI, NU, NV, NZ, OM, PA, PC, PE, PF, PG, PH, PK, PR, PT, QA, RE, SA, SB, SC, SD, SG, SH, SL, SN, SO, SR, ST, SV, TC, TG, TH, TK, TN, TO, TR, TT, TV, TW, TZ, US, UY, VC, VE, VG, VI, VU, WF, WS, YD, YE, ZA, ZR.
COMMON NAME: Green turtles.
Chelonia agassizii Bocourt 1868, Ann. Sci. Nat. Zool. (5)10:121-122.: TYPES: 2 Syntypes: MNHN 1871, 1872.
TYPE LOCALITY: Embayment of the Río Nagualate, Guatemala.
DISTRIBUTION: Eastern Pacific from southern California, U.S.A., to Chile, west to the Galapagos and Papua New Guinea.
COMMENT: Pritchard 1983, Copeia (4):1110, discussed evidence for species status of this form and noted that it is sympatric with Chelonia mydas in Pacific Mexico, Galapagos, and Papua New Guinea; see also Hendrickson 1980, Am. Zool. 20:597-608. Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger 1983, Zool. Cat. Australia Amph. Rept. 1:66-68, treat it as a synonym of C. mydas.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Mexican Pacific populations listed as Endangered (under Chelonia mydas); other populations listed as Threatened.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AU, CA, CL, CO, CR, EC, GT, HN, MX, NI, PA, PE, PG, SV, US.
COMMON NAME: East Pacific green turtle, Black turtle, Green turtle, Agassiz's green turtle, Caguama prieta.
Chelonia depressa Garman 1880. Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.
Chelonia depressa Garman 1880, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 6:124.: TYPES: 2 Syntypes: MCZ 1413 (Penang) and 4473 (North Australia); MCZ 4473 designated lectotype by Loveridge 1934, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 77:261.
TYPE LOCALITY: "East Indies and North Australia"; restricted to "North Australia" by lectotype designation.
DISTRIBUTION: Northern, eastern, and western coastal regions of Australia; New Guinea.
COMMENT: Barbour 1914, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 27:205, showed that the type series was a composite of C. mydas from Penang and C. depressus from Australia. Designation of the lectotype by Loveridge 1934, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 77:261, eliminated possible confusion. Reviewed by Zangerl, Hendrickson, and Hendrickson 1988, Bishop Mus. Bull. Zool. 1:1-69; Williams, Grandison, and Carr 1967, Breviora 271:1-15. Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:278, suggested that this species does not fit within the generic definitions of Chelonia and that Natator McCulloch 1908 was available if the species was given generic standing.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I. Briefly evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:xli, and categorized as Formerly Listed "Rare". See Honegger 1982, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.003.002.001:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AU, ID, PG.
COMMON NAME: Flatback turtle, Tortue franche du Pacifique, Penju.
Chelonia mydas (Linneaus 1758). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.
Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus 1758), Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1:197.: ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo mydas.
TYPES: 3 Syntypes: NRM 19, 26, and 231 (incorrectly reported as ZIUS by Iverson 1986, Checklist Turt. World :6); see comments below.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Insulas pelagi: insulam Adscensionis" (=Pelagic islands: Ascension Island), south Atlantic Ocean; restricted by Mertens and Müller 1928, Abh. Senckenb. Naturf. Ges. 41:23, to Ascension Island.
DISTRIBUTION: Temperate and tropical seas.
COMMENT: Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:269, and Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger 1983, Zool. Cat. Australia Amph. Rept. 1:69, incorrectly reported the holotype of Chelonia mydas to be ZMUU 20, which Wallin 1977, Zoon 5:77-78, demonstrated to be the holotype of Testudo geometricus (see comments under Psammobates geometricus). See also Wallin 1985, Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 85:121-130. Reviewed by Hirth 1980, Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 249:1-4 (including Chelonia agassizii); Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:257-271; and Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:281-301.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier, G. Zug.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I; Berne Convention: Appendix II; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Florida breeding populations listed as Endangered; other populations listed as Threatened. See comment under Chelonia agassizii. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book Pt. 1:151-180, and listed as Endangered. Honegger 1981, Handb. Rept. Amph. Europas Suppl. :106-107, assayed Chelonia mydas mydas for the Council of Europe and listed it as Endangered, and nominally protected by law in Cyprus. See Honegger 1982, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.003.002.002:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AE, AG, AI, AN, AO, AR, AS, AU, BB, BD, BJ, BM, BN, BR, BS, BU, BZ, CA, CC, CD, CG, CI, CK, CL, CM, CN, CO, CR, CU, CV, CX, CY, DJ, DM, DO, EC, EG, EH, ES, ET, FJ, FM, FR, GA, GD, GF, GH, GM, GN, GP, GQ, GR, GT, GU, GW, GY, HK, HN, HT, ID, IL, IN, IO, IQ, IR, JM, JP, KE, KH, KI, KM, KN, KR, KW, KY, LC, LK, LR, MA, MG, MH, MI, MQ, MR, MS, MT, MU, MV, MX, MY, MZ, NC, NG, NI, NU, NV, NZ, OM, PA, PC, PE, PF, PG, PH, PK, PR, PT, QA, RE, SA, SB, SC, SD, SG, SH, SL, SN, SO, SR, ST, SV, TC, TG, TH, TK, TN, TO, TR, TT, TV, TW, TZ, US, UY, VC, VE, VG, VI, VU, WF, WS, YD, YE, ZA, ZR.
COMMON NAME: Green turtle, Tortuga verde, Tortuga blanco, Tortue verte, Tortue franche.

Eretmochelys Fitzinger 1843, Syst. Rept. 1:30.: TYPE SPECIES: Testudo imbricata Linnaeus 1766, by original designation.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the single species.
COMMENT: Genus and species reviewed by Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:278-292. Witzell 1983, FAO Fish. Synops. 137:1-78, reviewed biology. Brongersma 1972, Zool. Verh. Rijksmus. Nat. Hist. 121(2):1-318, discussed the confusion between this genus and Caretta.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AE, AG, AI, AN, AS, AU, AW, BB, BD, BR, BS, BU, BZ, CI, CK, CM, CN, CO, CR, CU, CV, DJ, DM, DO, EC, EG, EH, ES, ET, FJ, FM, GA, GD, GF, GH, GM, GN, GQ, GP, GT, GU, GW, GY, HK, HN, HT, ID, IN, IO, IR, JM, JP, KE, KH, KI, KM, KN, KW, KY, LC, LK, MA, MG, MH, MP, MQ, MR, MS, MU, MV, MX, MY, MZ, NC, NI, NR, NU, NV, NZ, OM, PA, PC, PF, PG, PH, PR, PU, PW, QA, RE, SA, SB, SC, SD, SL, SN, SO, SR, ST, SV, TC, TH, TK, TN, TO, TT, TV, TW, TZ, US, UY, VC, VE, VG, VI, VN, VU, WF, WS, YD, YE.
COMMON NAME: Hawksbill, Carey.
Eretmochelys imbricata (Linneaus 1766). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.
Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus 1766), Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1:350.: ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo imbricata.
TYPE: Holotype: ZMUU 130, according to Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:280, who state that while it is not certain that this is the type, the assumption seems justified (incorrectly reported as ZIUS by Iverson 1986, Checklist Turt. World :8).
TYPE LOCALITY: "Mari Americano, Asiatico"; restricted by Smith and Taylor 1950, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 199:17, to "the Bermuda Islands," Atlantic Ocean; later restricted by Schmidt 1953, Check List N. Am. Amph. Rept., ed. 6:106, to "Belize, British Honduras."
DISTRIBUTION: All tropical seas, and occasionally in some temperate seas.
COMMENT: Reviewed by Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:280-292; Witzell 1983, FAO Fish. Synops. 137:1-78; and Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:319-334.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I; Berne Convention: Appendix II; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Endangered. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:181-200, and listed as Endangered. Honegger 1981, Handb. Rept. Amph. Europas Suppl. :107-108, assayed Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata for the Council of Europe and listed it as Endangered. See Honegger 1982, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.003.003.001:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AE, AG, AI, AN, AS, AU, AW, BB, BD, BM, BR, BS, BU, BZ, CI, CK, CM, CN, CO, CR, CU, CV, DJ, DM, DO, EC, EG, EH, ES, ET, FJ, FM, GA, GD, GF, GH, GM, GN, GQ, GP, GT, GU, GW, GY, HK, HN, HT, ID, IN, IO, IR, JM, JP, KE, KH, KI, KM, KN, KW, KY, LC, LK, MA, MG, MH, MP, MQ, MR, MS, MU, MV, MX, MY, MZ, NC, NI, NR, NU, NV, NZ, OM, PA, PC, PF, PG, PH, PR, PU, PW, QA, RE, SA, SB, SC, SD, SL, SN, SO, SR, ST, SV, TC, TH, TK, TN, TO, TT, TV, TW, TZ, US, UY, VC, VE, VG, VI, VN, VU, WF, WS, YD, YE.
COMMON NAME: Hawksbill turtle, Carey, Tortue imbriquée.

Lepidochelys Fitzinger 1843, Syst. Rept. 1:30.: TYPE SPECIES: Thalassochelys olivacea Fitzinger 1843 (= Chelonia olivacea Eschscholtz 1829), by original designation.
DISTRIBUTION: Coastal areas of tropical and subtropical seas
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AG, AN, AU, BB, BD, BE, BM, BR, BS, BZ, CA, CG, CI, CM, CN, CO, CR, CU, DO, DM, EC, ET, FR, GA, GB, GD, GF, GH, GI, GM, GN, GP, GQ, GU, GW, GT, GY, HN, ID, IE, IN, IR, JP, KE, KN, KY, LK, LR, MG, MQ, MR, MV, MX, MY, MZ, NI, OM, PA, PC, PE, PG, PH, PK, QA, SA, SG, SL, SN, SR, SV, TH, TN, TW, TZ, US, VE, VG, VI, VN, ZA, ZR.
COMMON NAME: Ridley turtles.

Lepidochelys kempii (Garman 1880). Illustration by Urs Woy.
Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Lepidochelys kempii (Garman 1880), Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 6:123.: ORIGINAL NAME: Thalassochelys (Colpochelys) kempii.
TYPES: 2 Syntypes: MCZ, 2 uncatalogued specimens on exhibit.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Gulf of Mexico"; restricted to "Key West, Fla" (=Key West, Florida), U.S.A. by Smith and Taylor 1950, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 199:15.
DISTRIBUTION: North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
COMMENT: Reviewed by Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:316-324.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I; Berne Convention: Appendix II; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Endangered. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:201-207, and listed as Endangered. Assayed by Honegger 1981, Handb. Rept. Amph. Europas Suppl. :108-109, for the Council of Europe and listed as Endangered. See Honegger 1982, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.033.004.001:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BM, BS, BZ, CA, CO, ES, GB, IE, FR, GI, MX, PA, PT, TN, US.
COMMON NAME: Kemp's ridley, Atlantic ridley, Bastard turtle, Ridley, Tortuga lora, Cotorra, Tortuga bastarda, Tortue bâtarde, Gaguama.
Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz 1829). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.
Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz 1829), Zool. Atlas, Pt. 1:3.: ORIGINAL NAME: Chelonia olivacea.
TYPE: Possibly in MZT, according to Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:327.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Bai von Manilla" (=Manila Bay), Philippines.
DISTRIBUTION: Pacific and Indian Oceans; and Atlantic generally south of Venezuela, South America, and Mauritania, west Africa.
COMMENT: According to Brongersma 1961, Zool. Verh. Rijksmus. Nat. Hist. 51:28,30, Chelonia multiscutata Kuhl 1820, is an earlier name available for this species, but argued that its use would result in an unfortunate change of names. Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:327, indicated a formal appeal to suppress the name had been made to the Intl. Comm. Zool. Nomen. Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:350, suggested multiscutata be treated as a nomen oblitum. Frazier 1985, J. Herpet. 19(1):1-11, relegated Thalassiochelys tarapacona Philippi 1887 to Lepidochelys olivacea and clarified the identity of sea turtles in the eastern Pacific. Reviewed by Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:325-334; Márquez, Villaneuva, and Peñaflores 1976, INP Sinops. Pesca 2:1-61; and Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:335-351.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier, Huang C.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Mexican breeding populations listed as Endangered; other populations listed as Threatened. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:209-223, and listed as Endangered. See Honegger 1982, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.003.004.002:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AE, AG, AN, AU, BB, BD, BR, CA, CG, CI, CM, CN, CO, CR, CU, CV, EC, ET, GA, GD, GF, GH, GM, GN, GP, GQ, GT, GW, GY, HN, ID, IN, IR, JP, KE, LK, LR, MG, MQ, MR, MV, MX, MY, MZ, NI, OM, PA, PG, PH, PK, QA, SA, SG, SL, SR, SV, TH, TT, TW, TZ, US, VE, VG, VI, VN, ZA, ZR.
COMMON NAME: Olive ridley, Pacific ridley, Tortuga olivacea, Tortuga golfina, Tortue livâtre.

FAMILY: Chelydridae Gray 1870, Suppl. Cat. Shield Rept. British Mus. 1:8.: DISTRIBUTION: Southern Canada to Ecuador.
COMMENT: Gaffney 1975, Fieldiana: Geol. 33(9):157-178, studied the phylogenetic relationships of the genera, and included Platysternon in this family. Whetstone 1978, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 51:539-563, also studied the phylogeny of the Chelydridae and removed Platysternon. Frair 1982 Copeia (4):976-978, showed Chelydra and Platysternon have quite different electrophoretic patterns. Chkhikvadze 1971. Bull. Acad. Sci. Georgian S.S.R. 62:489-491, commented on the possible origin of the family. See comment under Testudinidae: Platysternidae.

Chelydra Schweigger 1812, Königsberg. Arch. Naturwiss. Math. 1:292.: TYPE SPECIES: Testudo serpentina Linnaeus 1758, by subsequent designation of Fitzinger 1843, Syst. Rept. 1:29.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the single species.
COMMENT: Genus and species reviewed by Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:345-362, and Medem 1977, Caldasia 12(56):41-101.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: CA, CO, CR, EC, GT, HN, MX, NI, PA, US.
COMMON NAME: Snapping turtles.
Chelydra serpentina (Linnaeus 1758), Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1:199.: ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo serpentina.
TYPE: Holotype: originally in NRM, lost according to Andersson 1900, Bihang Kong. Svenska Vet. Akad. Handl. (4)26(1):4,23. Iverson 1986, Checklist Turt. World :13, cites ZIUS GA 49 as the holotype.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Habitat in calidis regionibus"; restricted by Smith and Taylor 1950, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 199:21, to "New Orleans, La" (= New Orleans, Louisiana), U.S.A.; restricted by Schmidt 1953, Check List N. Am. Amph. Rept., ed. 6:86, to "vicinity of New York City," New York, U.S.A.
DISTRIBUTION: From southern Canada through the eastern and central U.S.A., introduced in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah; southeastern Mexico south to Ecuador.
COMMENT: Considered by some authors to contain several species, Chelydra rossignoni from southern Mexico to Costa Rica, Chelydra acutirostris from Panama to Ecuador, Chelydra osceola from peninsular Florida, U.S.A., and Chelydra serpentina from the eastern U.S.A. However, Feuer 1971, Herpetologica 27:379-384, reported intergradation between Chelydra serpentina serpentina and Chelydra serpentina osceola. Reviewed by Medem 1977, Caldasia 12(56):41-101.
REVIEWER: G. Zug.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: CA, CO, CR, EC, GT, HN, MX, NI, PA, US.
COMMON NAME: Common snapping turtle, Snapper.

Macroclemys Gray 1855, Cat. Shield Rept. British Mus. 1:48.: TYPE SPECIES: Chelonura temminckii Troost 1835, by monotypy.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the single species.
COMMENT: Referred to as Macrochelys in some older literature, corrected by Smith 1955, Herpetologica 11:16.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: US.
COMMON NAME: Alligator snapping turtle.
Macroclemys temminckii (Troost 1835), In: Harlan, Med. Phys. Res. :158.: ORIGINAL NAME: Chelonura temminckii.
TYPE: Holotype: MNHN-AC A.4540. See comment below.
TYPE LOCALITY: "a tributary stream of the Mississippi, which enters that river above Memphis, in West Tennessee," U.S.A.; restricted to the Wolf River, Shelby County, Tennessee, U.S.A., by Bour 1987, J. Herpet. 21(4):342.
DISTRIBUTION: Gulf of Mexico drainages of the southeastern U.S.A., from Suwannee River in the east to San Antonio River in the west.
COMMENT: Bour 1987 J. Herpetol. 21(4):340, indicates that in the early 1830's Lesueur and Harlan sent specimens of M. temminckii to the MNHN, while Troost sent specimens to the RMNH. Since MNHN-AC A.4540 was received in the right time period and has measurements that match skull dimensions in the original description, Bour 1987 J. Herpetol. 21(4):343, concluded it was the holotype. However, Hoogmoed reports RMNH 6166 is the holotype. Reviewed by Pritchard 1982, Rep. World Wildl. Fund 124 p.
REVIEWER: M. Hoogmoed.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: US.
COMMON NAME: Alligator snapping turtle.

FAMILY: Dermatemydidae Gray 1870, Suppl. Cat. Shield Rept. British Mus. 1:122.: DISTRIBUTION: As for the single species.
COMMENT: The original spelling of the group name was Dermatemydae. Reviewed by Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:186-197. Meylan 1987, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 186(1):1-101, demonstrated the close interfamilial relationship between the Trionychidae, Carettochelyidae, Dermatemydidae, and Kinosternidae.

Dermatemys Gray 1847, Proc. Zool. Soc. London :55.: TYPE SPECIES: Dermatemys mawii Gray 1847, by monotypy.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the only species.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BZ, GT, MX.
COMMON NAME: Central American river turtles.
Dermatemys mawii Gray 1847, Proc. Zool. Soc. London :55.: TYPE: Holotype: BMNH 1947.3.4.12.
TYPE LOCALITY: "South America" (in error); restricted to "Alvarado, Veracruz," Mexico, by Smith and Taylor 1950, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 199:346.
DISTRIBUTION: Mexico, Veracruz and northern Oaxaca, to Belize (absent from northern Yucatan peninsula) and Atlantic drainage of Guatemala.
COMMENT: Reviewed by Iverson and Mittermeier 1980, Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 237:1-4.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Endangered. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:17-19, and listed as Vulnerable. Reviewed in Belize by Moll 1986, Biol. Conserv. 35:9194, and considered common to abundant, but declining in some regions. See Honegger 1982, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.005.001.001:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BZ, GT, MX.
COMMON NAME: Central American river turtle, Tabasco turtle, Tortuga blanca, Tortuga plana.

FAMILY: Dermochelyidae Wieland 1902, Am. J. Sci. (4)14:95-108.: DISTRIBUTION: All tropical and temperate marine waters.
COMMENT: The oldest family name is Sphargidae (Gray 1825, Ann. Philos. 10(2):193-217), but it was replaced by Dermochelydidae after Baur 1888, Zool. Anz. 11(270):44-45, established that the genus name with priority was Dermochelys Blainville 1816 and not Sphargis Merrem 1820 or Dermatochelys Wagler 1830. Dermochelydidae also is the spelling dictated by classic Latin which separates the vowels "y" and "i" with a consonant to ease pronunciation; see Wermuth and Mertens 1977, Das Tierreich 100:99. The presently accepted spelling was first used by Baur 1890, Am. Naturalist 24:530-536, and fixed by Wieland 1902, Am. J. Sci. (4)14:95-108. An often seen variant spelling, Dermochelidae, results from the inadvertent omission of the "y"; see Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:231-233. Reviewed by Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2: 249-252, and Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico Turt. 6:231-253. Synonymy and literature review in Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger 1983, Zool. Cat. Australia Amph. Rept. 1:75-77. Frair 1979, Herpetologica, 35:239-244, and Frair 1982, Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 72B:1-4, suggested that the Dermochelyidae and Cheloniidae were distinct only at the level of subfamily, but this was not accepted by Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:269-280.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.

Dermochelys Blainville 1816, Bull. Sci. Soc. Philomath. Paris (3)3:"111".: TYPE SPECIES: Testudo coriacea Linnaeus 1766, by subsequent designation of Cuvier 1829, Regne Animal, ed. 2, 2:133.
DISTRIBUTION: All tropical and temperate oceans.
COMMENT: Smith and Smith 1973, Synops. Herpetofauna Mexico 2:20 noted that the pages were misnumbered in the issue of the Bull. Sci. Soc. Philomath. Paris in which Blainville's 1816 description appeared. Reviewed by Pritchard 1980, Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 238:1.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AG, AN, AO, AR, AU, BB, BD, BE, BM, BN, BR, BS, BU, BZ, CA, CG, CI, CM, CN, CO, CR, CU, DE, DJ, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EG, ES, ET, FR, GA, GB, GD, GF, GH, GI, GM, GP, GR, GT, GU, GY, HK, HN, HT, ID, IE, IL, IN, IR, IS, IT, JP, KE, KH, KM, KN, KR, KY, LC, LK, LR, LY, MA, MG, MQ, MR, MT, MU, MV, MX, MY, MZ, NG, NI, NL, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PC, PE, PG, PH, PK, PT, RE, SA, SB, SC, SE, SG, SR, SV, TH, TN, TR, TT, TZ, US, UY, VC, VE, VG, VI, VU, YD, YE, ZA, ZR.
COMMON NAME: Leatherback turtles.
Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli 1761), Epist. holoth. testudine coriacea Discoridum II. Patavii (Padova).: ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo coriacea.
TYPE: Holotype: ZMUP unnumbered specimen, identified by Fretey and Bour 1980, Boll. Zool. 47:193-205.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Mari mediterraneo, Adriatico varius" (=Mediterranean and Adriatic seas); restricted to "Palermo, Sicily" by Smith and Taylor 1950, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 199:13; Fretey and Bour 1980, Boll. Zool. 47:193-205, corrected the type locality to "Tyrrhenian coast near Rome, Italy" based on data with the type specimen; restated as "Laurentum, between Lido di Ostia and Tor Paterno, shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy" by Bour and Dubois 1984 [1983], J. Herpet. 17:359.
DISTRIBUTION: All tropical to temperate oceans
COMMENT: Reviewed by Pritchard 1980, Cat. Am. Amph. Rept. 238:1-4, and Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:253-267. Rhodin and Smith 1982, J. Herpet. 16:316-317, considered Linnaeus 1766, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1:350, the proper citation for the species. Bour and Dubois 1984 [1983], J. Herpet. 17:356-361 and Smith and Rhodin 1986, J. Herpet. 20(3):450-451, corrected the citation to Vandelli 1761 and identified the holotype. Iverson 1986, Checklist Turt. World :18, incorrectly indicates the holotype is in the MZUP.
REVIEWER: J. Frazier.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I; Berne Convention: Appendix II; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Endangered. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:225-241, and listed as Endangered. Assayed by Honegger 1981, Handb. Rept. Amph. Europas Suppl. :109-110, for the Council of Europe and listed as Endangered; and Ovington 1978, Australian End. Spec. :142, 147, lists it as Endangered. See Honegger 1982, In: Dollinger, CITES Identif. Manual 3: A-301.006.001.001:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AG, AN, AO, AR, AU, BB, BD, BE, BM, BN, BR, BS, BU, BZ, CA, CG, CI, CM, CN, CO, CR, CU, DE, DJ, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EG, IE, ES, ET, FR, GA, GB, GD, GF, GH, GI, GM, GP, GR, GT, GU, GY, HK, HN, HT, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, IT, JP, KE, KH, KM, KN, KR, KY, LC, LK, LR, LY, MA, MG, MQ, MR, MT, MU, MV, MX, MY, MZ, NG, NI, NL, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PC, PE, PG, PH, PK, PT, RE, SA, SB, SC, SE, SG, SR, SV, TH, TN, TR, TT, TZ, US, UY, VC, VE, VG, VI, VU, YD, YE, ZA, ZR.
COMMON NAME: Leatherback turtle, Leathery turtle, Trunkback, Luth, Tinglada, Tortuga laud, Tortue luth, Tortue batacle.

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