Serrated hinged terrapin

African terrapin

Serrated hinged terrapin


Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Pleurodira
Family:	Pelomedusidae
Genus:	Pelusios
Species:	P. sinuatus
Binomial name
*Pelusios sinuatus* (A. Smith, 1838)
Synonyms^[1]
Sternotherus sinuatus A. Smith, 1838 Sternothaerus sinuatus — Boulenger, 1889 Pelusios sinuatus — Schmidt, 1919

The serrated hinged terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus) is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. The species is native to East Africa and Southern Africa. There are two recognised subspecies.

Geographic range

P. sinuatus is found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.^[1]

Habitat and behaviour

The preferred natural habitats of P. sinuatus are tropical lakes and rivers, where it can often be seen basking on logs, rocks, or mud banks, or even on the backs of sleeping hippopotami.^[2]

Diet

P. sinuatus eats water snails, soft-weed, and insects.^[2]

Description

The largest species in the genus Pelusios, P. sinuatus has a straight carapace length of up to 55 cm (22 in). Females are larger than males. Males can also be distinguished by their slightly longer tails.^[2]

Defence

For defence, the hinged plastron of P. sinuatus closes to protect the head and forelimbs. The serrated hinged terrapin also secretes a foul odour when threatened.^[2]

Breeding

The female serrated hinged terrapin lays seven to 25 eggs, up to 500 m (1,600 ft) from the nearest water, in October to January. Hatchlings appear in March to April.^[3]

Subspecies

The following two subspecies are recognised as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.^[1]

Pelusios sinuatus bottegi Boulenger, 1895
Pelusios sinuatus sinuatus A. Smith, 1838

Etymology

The subspecific name, bottegi is in honour of Italian explorer Vittorio Bottego.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Species Pelusios sinuatus at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Broadley, Donald; Boycott, Richard (2009), Pelusios sinuatus (Smith 1838) – Serrated Hinged Terrapin, Chelonian Research Foundation, pp. 036.1–036.5, doi:10.3854/crm.5.036.sinuatus.v1.2009, ISBN 978-0-9653540-9-7^{[dead link]}
^ Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp., 112 plates. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Pelusios sinuatus, p. 46 + Plate 11).
^ Boulenger GA (1895). "Rettili e Batraci. Esplorazione del Giuba e dei suoi affluenti compiuta dal Cap. V. Bottego durante gli anni 1892–93 sotto gli auspicii della Società Geografica Italiana". Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, Serie Seconda [= Second Series] 15: 9–18. (Sternothaerus bottegi, new species). (in Italian).

External links

Media related to Pelusios sinuatus at Wikimedia Commons

Side-necked turtle species

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Pleurodira

Family

Acanthochelys

	Acanthochelys macrocephala Acanthochelys pallidipectoris Acanthochelys radiolata Acanthochelys spixii

Chelus

	Chelus fimbriata

Mesoclemmys

	Mesoclemmys dahli Mesoclemmys gibba Mesoclemmys jurutiensis Mesoclemmys nasuta Mesoclemmys perplexa Mesoclemmys raniceps Mesoclemmys sabiniparaensis Mesoclemmys tuberculata Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei †Mesoclemmys vanegasorum Mesoclemmys zuliae

Phrynops

	Phrynops geoffroanus Phrynops hilarii †Phrynops paranaensis Phrynops tuberosus Phrynops williamsi

Platemys

	Platemys platycephala

Ranacephala

	Ranacephala hogei

Rhinemys

	Rhinemys rufipes

Chelodininae

Chelodina

Chelodina	Chelodina canni Chelodina gunaleni Chelodina longicollis Chelodina mccordi †Chelodina murrayi Chelodina novaeguineae Chelodina pritchardi Chelodina reimanni Chelodina steindachneri
Chelydera	†Chelodina alanrixi Chelodina burrungandjii Chelodina expansa Chelodina insculpta Chelodina kuchlingi Chelodina kurrichalpongo Chelodina parkeri Chelodina rugosa Chelodina walloyarrina
Macrochelodina	Chelodina oblonga

Elseya

Elseya	Elseya dentata Elseya branderhorsti Elseya flaviventralis
Pelocomastes	Elseya albagula Elseya irwini Elseya lavarackorum †Elseya nadibajagu †Elseya uberrima
Hanwarachelys	Elseya caelatus Elseya novaeguineae Elseya orestiad Elseya rhodini Elseya schultzei

Elusor

	Elusor macrurus

Emydura

	Emydura australis Emydura gunaleni Emydura macquarii Emydura subglobosa Emydura tanybaraga Emydura victoriae

Myuchelys

	Myuchelys belli Myuchelys georgesi Myuchelys latisternum Myuchelys purvisi

Rheodytes

	Rheodytes leukops †Rheodytes devisi

Hydromedusinae

Hydromedusa

	Hydromedusa maximiliani Hydromedusa tectifera

Pseudemydurinae

Pseudemydura

	Pseudemydura umbrina

Pelomedusidae

Pelomedusa

	Pelomedusa subrufa

Pelusios

	Pelusios adansonii Pelusios bechuanicus Pelusios broadleyi Pelusios carinatus Pelusios castaneus Pelusios castanoides Pelusios chapini Pelusios cupulatta Pelusios gabonensis Pelusios marani Pelusios nanus Pelusios niger Pelusios rhodesianus Pelusios sinuatus Pelusios subniger Pelusios upembae Pelusios williamsi

Podocnemididae

Erymnochelys

	Erymnochelys madagascariensis

Peltocephalus

	Peltocephalus dumerilianus

Podocnemis

	Podocnemis erythrocephala Podocnemis expansa Podocnemis lewyana Podocnemis sextuberculata Podocnemis unifilis Podocnemis vogli

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2021 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. Key: †=extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Suborder

Superfamily

Family

Genus

Cryptodira

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers
Pelusios sinuatus	Wikidata: Q2210326 Wikispecies: Pelusios sinuatus ADW: Pelusios_sinuatus BOLD: 171539 CoL: 76FP4 EoL: 791165 GBIF: 2442335 iNaturalist: 40126 IRMNG: 10952026 ITIS: 551830 NCBI: 44526 Observation.org: 102068 Open Tree of Life: 235190 RD: sinuatus