Chordates • Earth.com

South American snapping turtle

(Chelydra acutirostris)

galery

Description

The South American snapping turtle (Chelydra acutirostris) is a species of turtle in the family Chelydridae. This species, which is endemic to Central and northwestern South America, was previously considered a subspecies of Chelydra serpentina. Its restricted range in South America reflects its recent arrival there as part of the Great American Interchange. Chelydra acutirostris is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. Chelydra is one of the two extant genera of the snapping turtle family, Chelydridae, the other being Macrochelys, the much larger alligator snapping turtle. The snapping turtles are native to the Americas, with Chelydra having three species, one in North America and two in Central America, one of which is also found in northwestern South America.a

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:
Class: Reptilia
Order:Testudines
Family:Chelydridae
Genus:Chelydra
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