The Presence of Mesoclemmys raniceps and Mesoclemmys nasuta in Venezuela and Comments on the Type Locality of Hydraspis maculata (Chelidae)

Gilson A. Rivas; Tito R. Barros; Flavio de Barros Molina; Pedro Trebbau; Peter C.H. Pritchard

doi:10.2744/ccab-14-01-104-107.1

1 June 2015 The Presence of Mesoclemmys raniceps and Mesoclemmys nasuta in Venezuela and Comments on the Type Locality of Hydraspis maculata (Chelidae)

Gilson A. Rivas, Tito R. Barros, Flavio de Barros Molina, Pedro Trebbau, Peter C.H. Pritchard

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Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 14(1):104-107 (2015). https://doi.org/10.2744/ccab-14-01-104-107.1

Abstract

Among the freshwater turtles recorded in Venezuela, 2 of the most enigmatic species for their scarcity and misleading distributional information are Mesoclemmys raniceps and Mesoclemmys nasuta. Based on the literature, only 3 records pertaining to these 2 species could confirm that they occur in Venezuela; however, a detailed study of the evidence demonstrates that the type of Hydraspis maculata (a synonym of M. raniceps), was not specifically collected in Venezuela and the other 2 records were an adult female of Mesoclemmys zuliae and a juvenile Mesoclemmys heliostemma. Our conclusion is that no records of M. nasuta or M. raniceps are known from Venezuela.

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Gilson A. Rivas, Tito R. Barros, Flavio de Barros Molina, Pedro Trebbau, and Peter C.H. Pritchard "The Presence of Mesoclemmys raniceps and Mesoclemmys nasuta in Venezuela and Comments on the Type Locality of Hydraspis maculata (Chelidae)," Chelonian Conservation and Biology 14(1), 104-107, (1 June 2015). https://doi.org/10.2744/ccab-14-01-104-107.1

Received: 25 August 2014; Accepted: 1 March 2015; Published: 1 June 2015

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