FAMILY: Platysternidae Williams 1950, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 94:513.

DISTRIBUTION: As for the single genus.
COMMENT: See comment under Chelydridae. Considered the sister-taxon of Emydidae and Testudinidae by Bickham and Carr 1983, Copeia (4):918-927.

Platysternon Gray 1831, Proc. Zool. Soc. London :106.

TYPE SPECIES: Platysternon megacephalum Gray 1831, by original designation.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the single species.
COMMENT: Genus and species reviewed by Taylor 1970, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 49:98-102, and Bourret 1941, Tort. Indochine 38:133-135.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BU, CN, LA, TH, VN.
COMMON NAME: Big-headed turtle.

Platysternon megacephalum Gray 1831, Proc. Zool. Soc. London :107.

TYPE: Holotype: BMNH 1946.9.7.42.
TYPE LOCALITY: "in China".
DISTRIBUTION: Southeastern Asia, from Burma to southern China, including Hainan Island.
COMMENT: Reviewed by Schleich and Gruber 1984, Spixiana 7:67-73.
REVIEWER: Huang C.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BU, CN, LA, TH, VN.
COMMON NAME: Big-headed turtle, Yingzugui.

FAMILY: Testudinidae Gray 1825, Ann. Philos. (2)10:210.

DISTRIBUTION: Generally worldwide in temperate and tropical terrestrial habitats; excluding Australia.
COMMENT: Gray 1825, Ann. Philos. (2)10:210, was the first to use the present spelling of the family name. However, Smith and Smith 1979, Synops. Herpetfauna Mexico Turt. 6:335-339, noted the first use of the type genus, Testudo Linnaeus 1758, to form a family name is by Rafinesque 1815, Analyse Nat. Tabl. Univ. Corps Organ. Palermo :74, who used Testudia as the name for the land tortoises. Considered a subfamily of the Emydidae by some authors. Reviewed by Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:197-205. Phylogeny and African species discussed by Loveridge and Williams 1957, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 115:209-411. Williams 1952, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 99:541-560, also discusses phylogeny of tortoises.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly
COMMON NAME: Tortoises, Land tortoises.

Aldabrachelys Loveridge and Williams 1957, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 115:225.

TYPE SPECIES: Testudo elephantina Duméril and Bibron 1835, Erpet. Gén. Hist. Nat. Rept. Paris 2:110.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the species.
COMMENT: See comment under the single species.
CONTRIBUTOR: W. King.
REVIEWER: C. Crumly, P. Meylan, P. Pritchard.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: MU, RE, SC.
COMMON NAME: Aldabra tortoise, Aldabra giant tortoise, Tortue géante des Seychelles.

Aldabrachelys elephantina (Duméril and Bibron 1835). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Aldabrachelys elephantina (Duméril and Bibron 1835), Erpet. Gén. Hist. Nat. Rept. Paris 2:110.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo elephantina.
TYPE SPECIES: Testudo gigantea Schweigger 1812, Konigsber. Arch. Naturwiss. Math. 1:327, but see comment below.
TYPE: Lectotype: MNHM 7874, designated informally by Rothschild 1915, Novit. Zool. 22:432, who did not give the MNHN number but noted that "the type was not marked by Messrs. Duméril and Bibron, but it is evidently the very large specimen in the Paris Museum sent from the Ile de France (Mauritius) by M. Matheiu."
TYPE LOCALITY: Not given.
DISTRIBUTION: Aldabra Island, Seychelles Is.
COMMENT: Although the name Geochelone gigantea has often been applied to the Aldabra tortoises, Bour 1982, Comptes Rendus Hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci. Paris 295:117-122, and Bour 1984, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Paris, 4(A)1:159-175, showed that the description of Testudo gigantea Schweigger 1812, Konigsber. Arch. Naturwiss. Math. 1:327, was not based on an Aldabra tortoise, and proposed using the next available name, Testudo elephantina Duméril and Bibron. This was further supported when Pritchard 1986, J. Herpet. 20(4):522-534, demonstrated that Testudo gigantea was based on a specimen of Geochelone denticulata, a conclusion that is strengthened by the "Brasilien" type locality given by Schweigger. Pritchard also proposed retention of Aldabrachelys for the generic name. Earlier, Bour 1982, Comptes Rendus Hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci. Paris 295:117-122, had suggested the name Aldabrachelys, which is associated with the name gigantea, was unavailable and proposed the substitute name Dipsochelys. However, Meylan and Auffenberg 1987, In: Leakey and Harris, Laetoli Pliocene N. Tanzania :74, pointed out the name Aldabrachelys is still available since Loveridge and Williams 1957, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 115: 225, clearly applied Aldabrachelys to the tortoises which are found today on Aldabra Island, and when it is discovered a type species has been misidentified, Article 70(b) of the Intl. Code Zool. Nomen. requires action by the Commission to designate a new type species. Because the Intl. Comm. Zool. Nomen. has yet to make a ruling in this case, the Aldabra tortoises here remain in Aldabrachelys. Fitzinger 1843, Syst. Rept. 1:29, indicated that Megalochelys is a synonym of Testudo gigantea, which Wermuth and Mertens 1977, Das Tierreich 100:84, followed in placing Testudo gigantea Schweigger 1812 in the subgenus Megalochelys. Obst 1986, Turt., tort. terrapins :211, placed Testudo gigantea Schweigger 1812 in Megalochelys. Auffenberg 1974, Bull. Florida State Mus. Biol. Sci. 18(3):173, showed that Megalochelys Falconer and Cautley 1837 is applicable to a series of fossil species and not to Testudo gigantea. For other views on the correct name of the Aldabra tortoises, see Crumly 1986, Herpetologica 42:237-241, and Hoogmoed and Crumly 1984, Zool. Med. Leiden 58:241-259.
CONTRIBUTOR: W. King.
REVIEWER: C. Crumly, P. Pritchard.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II (as Geochelone gigantea). Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:77-79, and listed as Rare. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.009:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: MU, RE, SC.
COMMON NAME: Aldabra tortoise, Aldabra giant tortoise, Tortue géante des Seychelles.

Chersina Gray 1831, Synops. Spec. Rept. In: Griffith and Pidgeon, Anim. Kingd. Cuvier 9:5.

TYPE SPECIES: Testudo angulata Schweigger 1812:321, 360, 443, by monotypy.
DISTRIBUTION: As for the single species.
COMMENT: Chersina Gray, not of Humphreys 1797, see Intl. Comm. Zool. Nomen. decision no. 1956. Discussed by Loveridge and Williams 1957, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 115:342-344.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: ZA, NA.
COMMON NAME: Bowsprit tortoises.

Chersine angulata (Schweigger 1812). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Chersina angulata (Schweigger 1812), Königsberg. Arch. Naturwiss. Math. 1:321, 360, 443.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo angulata.
TYPE: Not designated, although in his original description, Schweigger 1812, Königsberg. Arch. Naturwiss. Math. 1:321, specifically noted that he examined two specimens in the Paris museum (? =MNHN). According to Crumly (personal communication), SMF 7857, a stuffed specimen received from MNHN, is not the specimen from which Schweigger provided measurements, but may be the second specimen, a syntype.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Patria ignota" (=country unknown).
DISTRIBUTION: Republic of South Africa and Namibia, from East London in Cape Province, west and north to the mouth of the Orange River, below 900 m. elevation.
COMMENT: Reviewed by Loveridge and Williams 1957, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 115:163-557, and Greig and Burdett 1976, Zool. Africana 11(2):250-267.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.002.001:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: ZA, NA.
COMMON NAME: Bowsprit tortoise, Angulated tortoise.

Geochelone Fitzinger 1835, Ann. Wien. Mus. Naturgesch 1:111.

TYPE SPECIES: Testudo stellata Schweigger 1812, Königsberg. Arch. Naturwiss. Math. 1:325 (=Testudo elegans Schoepf 1795, Hist. Testud. Icon. Illustr.), by subsequent designation of Fitzinger 1843, Syst. Rept. 1:29.
DISTRIBUTION: Tropicopolitan except for Australia.
COMMENT: The taxonomy of Geochelone and its near relatives is contentious. Bour 1980, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Paris (4)A(2):541-546, elevated all of the previous subgenera to generic status. See also Obst 1986, Turt., tort. terrapins :210-211. Crumly 1982, J. Herpet. 16(3):215-234, rejected the subgenera of Geochelone as paraphyletic or premature. He did, however, tentatively retain Indotestudo as a distinct genus. Subsequently, Crumly 1983, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington :567-580, conditionally accepted Manouria. Hoogmoed and Crumly 1984, Zool. Med. Leiden 58: 243, suggested there was little evidence of monophyly in Chelonoidis and other subgenera. Except for Aldabrachelys, which is treated as a full genus above, the remaining genera recognized by Bour are presented here as subgenera: Asterochelys Gray 1873, Proc. Zool. Soc. London :724 (type species: Testudo radiata Shaw 1802, by monotypy); Geochelone (as for the genus); and Chelonoidis Fitzinger 1835, Ann. Wien. Mus. Naturgesch. 1:112 (type species: Testudo boie Wagler 1833 = Testudo carbonaria Spix 1824, by monotypy).
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AG, AN, AO, AR, BD, BO, BR, BW, CO, EC, ET, GD, GF, GY, IN, KE, LK, MG, ML, MR, MS, MU, MW, MZ, NA, NG, PA, PE, PK, PY, SC, SD, SN, SO, SR, TD, TT, TZ, UG, VE, VI, ZA, ZM, ZW.

Geochelone carbonaria (Spix 1824). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Geochelone carbonaria (Spix 1824), Anim. Spec. Nov. Testud. Brasil. :22.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo carbonaria.
TYPE: Originally in ZSM, now lost; Hoogmoed and Gruber 1983, Spixiana Suppl. 9:354, selected as lectotype plate XVI of Spix 1824.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Habitat sub cognomine "Capitary" (?) ad flumen Amazonum," South America.
DISTRIBUTION: Generally around the perimeter of the Amazon River basin, from Panama and Colombia to Paraguay and Brazil; introduced on to many of the islands in the West Indies.
COMMENT: Subgenus Chelonoidis. Confused with Geochelone denticulata until clarified by Williams 1960, Breviora 120:1-13. Reviewed by Castaño-Mora and Lugo-R. 1981, Cespedesia 10:55-122; and Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:207-220. Schwartz and Thomas 1975, Carnegie Mus. Nat. Hist. Sp. Publ. 1:49, list West Indian introductions.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
REVIEWER: M. Hoogmoed.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:61-62, and listed as Insufficiently Known. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.001:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AG, AN, BO, BR, CO, GD, GF, GY, MS, PA, PY, SR, VE, VI.
COMMON NAME: Red-footed tortoise, Jabuti, Karumbé, Tortuga de patas rojas, Morrocoy, Tortue Charbonniére, Tortue du Brézil.

Geochelone chilensis (Gray 1870). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Geochelone chilensis (Gray 1870), Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4)6:190, 706.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo (Gopher) chilensis.
TYPES: 2 Syntypes: BMNH 1947.3.5.8 and 1947.3.5.9 (both formerly BMNH 70.12.18.2)
TYPE LOCALITY: "Chili. . .N. Patagonia. . .Mendoza and the Pampas. . .Monte Video and Buenos Ayres. . ." southern South America.
DISTRIBUTION: Argentina, east of the Andes, and Paraguay.
COMMENT: Subgenus Chelonoidis. The northern most population was described as Geochelone petersi by Freiberg 1973, Bol. Soc. Biol. Concepción 46:81-93. According to Wermuth and Mertens 1977, Das Tierreich 100:77, Pritchard 1979, Encycl. Turt. :334, and Iverson 1986, Checklist Turt. World :138, this is a synonym of G. chilensis.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:63-64, and listed as Insufficiently Known. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.002:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AR, PY.
COMMON NAME: Chaco tortoise, Argentine tortoise, Argentine land tortoise, Tortuga terrestre argentina.

Geochelone denticulata (Linnaeus 1766). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Geochelone denticulata (Linnaeus 1766), Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1:352.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo denticulata.
TYPE: Holotype: NRM DeGeer collection 21, according to Andersson 1900, Bihang Kong. Svenska Vet. Akad. Handl. (4)26(1):1-29.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Virginia," U.S.A.; in error.
DISTRIBUTION: Northern South America, east of the Andes south to southern Brazil; Trinidad.
COMMENT: Subgenus Chelonoidis. See comments under Geochelone carbonaria and Aldabrachelys elephantina. Reviewed by Hoogmoed and Gruber 1983, Spixiana Suppl. 9:319-415; Castaño-Mora and Lugo-R. 1981, Cespedesia 10:55-122; and Pritchard and Trebbau 1984, Turt. Venezuela 2:221-231.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
REVIEWER: M. Hoogmoed.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.003:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BO, BR, CO, EC, GF, GY, PE, SR, TT, VE.
COMMON NAME: Yellow-footed tortoise, South American tortoise, South American forest tortoise, Morrocoy, Motelo, Jabuti, Tortuga de patas amarillas, Tortue dentelée, Tortue de l'Amérique du Sud.

Geochelone donosobarrosi Freiberg 1973, Bol. Soc. Biol. Concepción 46:83.

ORIGINAL NAME: Geochelone donosobarrosi.
TYPE: Holotype: USNM 192961.
TYPE LOCALITY: "San Antonio, Río Negro" Province, Argentina.
DISTRIBUTION: Central and coastal Argentina in Río Negro and La Pampa Provinces.
COMMENT: Subgenus Chelonoidis. Wermuth and Mertens 1977, Das Tierreich 100:77, and Iverson 1986, Checklist Turt. World :138, considered G. donosobarrosi to be a synonym of G. chilensis, while Pritchard 1979, Encycl. Turt. :334, regarded it as a subspecies of chilensis. However, none of these authors provide data that justify the linkage with chilensis.
CONTRIBUTOR: W. King.
REVIEWER: P. Pritchard.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AR.
COMMON NAME: Patagonian tortoise.

Geochelone elegans (Schoepf 1795). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Geochelone elegans (Schoepf 1795), Hist. Testud. Icon. Illustr. :111.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo elegans.
TYPE: Not found, but in his original description, Schoepf stated that the specimen illustrated was from the ". . .Museis Hagae Comitis et Harlemi. . ." (? =TSMHN).
TYPE LOCALITY: "India orientali".
DISTRIBUTION: Central and southern India, south to Sri Lanka and west into Pakistan.
COMMENT: Subgenus Geochelone. Wallin 1977, Zoon 5:77-78, demonstrated that the Linnaean type of Testudo geometrica is this species rather than Psammobates geometricus; see further comment under the latter species. See also Smith 1931, Fauna British India Rept. Amph. 1:138-140 (as Testudo elegans).
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.004:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BD, LK, IN, PK.
COMMON NAME: Star tortoise, Indian star tortoise.

Geochelone nigra (Quoy and Grimard 1824). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Geochelone nigra (Quoy and Gaimard 1824), Voy. Uranie Phys. Zool. :174.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo californiana.
TYPE: MNHN 9550.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Sandwich-Inseln" (in error).
DISTRIBUTION: Galapagos Is., Ecuador.
COMMENT: Subgenus Chelonoidis. Pritchard 1984, Not. Galapagos 39:20-23, and Bour 1984, Stud. Geol. Salmant., Vol. Espec. 1, Stud. Palaeochel. I, 1:17-76, showed that Testudo nigra Quoy and Gaimard 1824, Voy. Uranie Phys. Zool. :174, is the correct name for this species, rather than Testudo elephantopus Harlan 1827, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 5:284. The internal taxonomy of this nominal species is controversial; many authors regard the various island populations as subspecies; others, e.g. Bour 1980, Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Paris, 4(A)2:541-546, regard each island population as a distinct species. See Crumly 1984, Proc. California Acad. Sci. 43:111-121, for a discussion of the confusing nomenclatural history of this species. See Marlow and Patton 1981, J. Zool. London 195:413-422, for study of biochemical relationships of the various island populations; and Fritts 1984, Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 21:165-176, for discussion of evolutionary divergence within this species. Because species taxonomy of allopatric populations is inherently insoluble, and there seems little doubt that all the Galapagos Island populations are more closely related to one another than they are to mainland taxa, they are treated here as one nominal species containing: abingdonii (Günther 1878 [1877]) Gigantic Land Tort. British Mus. :85; becki (Rothschild 1901) Novit. Zool. 8:372; chathamensis, darwini, hoodensis, and phantastica (Van Denburgh 1907) Proc. California Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, 1:4; ephippium, microphyes, and vicina (Günther 1875) Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc. London 165:271; galapagoensis and guntheri (Baur 1890 [1889]) Am. Naturalist 23:1044; nigrita (Duméril and Bibron 1835) Erpét. Gén. Hist. Nat. Rept. 2:80; and vandenburghi (De Sola 1930) Copeia (3):80.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
REVIEWER: P. Pritchard.
STATUS: Under the name Geochelone elephantopus CITES: Appendix I; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Endangered. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:63-64, and listed as Endangered. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.005:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: EC.
COMMON NAME: Galapagos tortoise, Galapagos giant tortoise, Tortuga gigante de las Galapagos.

Geochelone pardalis (Bell 1828). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Geochelone pardalis (Bell 1828), Zool. J. London 3:420.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo pardalis.
TYPE: Not located; originally in the Bell Collection, part of which was later donated to the OUM.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Promont. Bonae Spei" (=Cape of Good Hope), Cape Province, Republic of South Africa.
DISTRIBUTION: Eastern and southern Africa, Sudan to Republic of South Africa and Angola, from sea level to 2000 m elevation; absent from the Congo Basin.
COMMENT: Subgenus Geochelone. Reviewed by Loveridge and Williams 1957, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 115:235- 254, and Greig and Burdett 1976, Zoologica Africana 11:250-251, 261.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.011:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: AO, BW, ET, KE, MW, MZ, NA, SD, SU, TZ, UG, ZA, ZM, ZW.
COMMON NAME: Leopard tortoise, Mountain tortoise, Tortue-panthère, Tortue-léopard, Tortue terrestre d'Afrique orientale, Tortue pardine.

Geochelone platynota (Blyth 1863). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Geochelone platynota (Blyth 1863), J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 32:83.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo platynota.
TYPES: 3 Syntypes: in Calcutta, but not located, possibly in ZSI. Smith 1931, Fauna British India Rept. Amph. 1:140, indicates types are in the BMNH and Indian Museum (? =ZSI), however, Boulenger 1889, Cat. Chel. Rhynch. Croc. British Mus. :162, lists BMNH specimens from Theobald, not Blyth. See comment below.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Lower Pegu," Burma; by Smith 1931, Fauna British India Rept. Amph. 1:140, as "Irrawaddy Valley".
DISTRIBUTION: Burma.
COMMENT: Subgenus Geochelone. Obst 1986, Turt., tort. terrapins :210, recognized platynota as a subspecies of G. elegans. Iverson 1986, Checklist Turt. World :144, believes syntypes may be in the IMC, which today is primarily an ethnographic museum. Many specimens reported to be in the IMC, or in the museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, are in the ZSI. Reviewed by Smith 1931, Fauna British India Rept. Amph. 1:140-141, as Testudo platynota, and Bourret 1941, Tort. Indochine 38:186-187.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:83-84, and listed as Insufficiently Known. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.012:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: BU.
COMMON NAME: Burmese star tortoise, Flatback tortoise, Tortue à dos plat.

Geochelone radiata (Shaw 1802). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Geochelone radiata (Shaw 1802), Gen. Zool., Syst. Nat. Hist. 3:22.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo radiata.
TYPE: Holotype: BMNH 1947.3.5.15.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Madagascar"; restricted by Bour 1978, Bull. Soc. Etud. Sci. Anjou, N.S. 10:141-154, to "Soalara (Baie de Saint-Augustin) sud-ouest de Madagascar".
DISTRIBUTION: Southern Madagascar from just south of Tulear southeast to Fort Dauphin.
COMMENT: Subgenus Astrochelys. Obst 1986, Turt., tort. terrapins :210, places elegans in the genus Astrochelys.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Endangered. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:85-88, and listed as Insufficiently Known; see also Juvik 1975, Oryx 13(2):145-148, and Juvik, Andrianarivo, and Blanc 1982, Biol. Conserv. 19:297-316. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.013:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: MG.
COMMON NAME: Radiated tortoise, Tortue rayonnée, Tortue radiée.

Geochelone sulcata (Miller 1779). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Geochelone sulcata (Miller 1779), Icon. Anim. Plant.: Fig. 26.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo sulcata.
TYPE: Lost.
TYPE LOCALITY: "India orientali" (in error); incorrectly listed as "Westindien" by Wermuth and Mertens 1961, Schildkr. Krok. Brücken. :224, and Wermuth and Mertens 1977, Das Tierreich 100:90.
DISTRIBUTION: Central Africa, from Eritrea in northeastern Ethiopia, west across sub-Saharan Africa to Senegal and Mauritania.
COMMENT: Subgenus Geochelone. Reviewed by Loveridge and Williams 1957, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 115:230-235. Hirth and Latif 1981, J. Herpet. 15:120-121, reported on morphometrics of a Sudanese population.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix II. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.014:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: ET, ML, MR, NG, SD, SN, TD.
COMMON NAME: African spurred tortoise, Grooved tortoise, Tortue sillonnée.

Geochelone yniphora (Vaillant 1885). Illustration by Urs Woy. Copyright © 1989, 1997 Association of Systematics Collections.

Geochelone yniphora (Vaillant 1885), Compt. Rend. Hebd. Séances Acad. Sci., Paris 101:440.

ORIGINAL NAME: Testudo yniphora.
TYPE: Holotype: Originally MNHN 1885.499; apparently lost during the 1960's.
TYPE LOCALITY: "Quoique la provenance de cette espèce ne puisse être fixée d'une manière absolutement précise, on doit cepedant regarder comme certain, d'après les renseignements fournis par les matelots arbes qui, a la grande Comore, vendirent à M. Humblot ces Tortues, que des animaux avaient été capturés sur un îlot situé au nord-nord-est de cette terre. . ." (in error); designated by Bour 1978, Bull. Soc. Etud. Sci. Anjou, N.S. 10:141-154, as "cap d'Amparafaka (Baie de Baly), nord-ouest de Madagascar".
DISTRIBUTION: Northwestern Madagascar.
COMMENT: Subgenus Astrochelys. Obst 1986, Turt., tort. terrapins :210, places yniphora in the genus Astrochelys. Reviewed by Juvik, Andrianarivo, and Blanc 1981, Biol. Conserv. 19:297-316.
CONTRIBUTOR: C. Crumly.
STATUS: CITES: Appendix I; U.S.A. Endangered Species Act: Endangered. Evaluated by Groombridge 1982, IUCN Amph. Rept. Red Data Book, Pt. 1:91-95, and listed as Endangered. See Honegger 1980, In: Dollinger, CITES Ident. Manual 3: A-301.011.003.016:1-2.
GEOGRAPHIC CODE: MG.
COMMON NAME: Angonoka, Madagascar tortoise, Madagascar angulated tortoise, Madagascar spur tortoise, Tortue à éperon.

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