Zambezi flapshell turtle

Zambezi flapshell turtle
Plastron with the peculiar hindleg flaps
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Trionychidae
Subfamily: Cyclanorbinae
Genus: Cycloderma
Species: C. frenatum
Binomial name
Cycloderma frenatum
Peters, 1854
Synonyms[1]
  • Cycloderma frenatum Peters, 1854
  • Cyclanosteus frenatus Gray, 1856
  • Aspidochelys livingstonii Gray, 1860
  • Heptathyra frenata Gray, 1864
  • Heptathyra livingstonii Gray, 1864
  • Gymnopus subplanus Duméril & Bibron, 1835
  • Amyda subplana Fitzinger, 1843
  • Dogania subplana Gray, 1844
  • Trionyx frenatus Gray, 1856
  • Dogania guentheri Gray, 1862
  • Trionyx guentheri Günther, 1864
  • Potamochelys frenatus Gray, 1864

The Zambezi flapshell turtle (Cycloderma frenatum) is a species of softshell turtle (family Trionychidae). Within its family, it belongs to the smaller and exclusively Old World subfamily, the Cyclanorbinae.

Geographic range

It is found in southeastern Africa, in the countries of Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, and mainly in the Zambezi basin.

Conservation status

This turtle is becoming rare due to habitat loss.

The carapace is smooth and nondescript as in many Trionychidae

References

  1. Uwe, Fritz; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology 57 (2): 314–315. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-17. Retrieved 29 May 2012.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, January 25, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.