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Kinosternon hirtipes megacephalum Iverson, 1981

Viesca mud turtle

 

 

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Synonym/s: Kinosternon megacephalum Iverson, 1981

 

Conservation Status

Extinct

Last record: 1961

IUCN RedList status: Extinct

 

The Viesca Mud Turtle is only known from the type series (SM(BCB) 9823 and 11460 to 66). Apparently no permanent water sources exist near Viesca any more, and the subspecies is presumed to be extinct. However, searches near the mountains to the south of Viesca may uncover remant populations of this subspecies, which is very distinctive because of its enlarged head relative to the rest of its body (known as allometry).

 

Distribution

near Viesca, Coahuila (south-western), Mexico

 

Biology & Ecology

 

 

Hypodigm

Holotype: SM(BCB) 11466 (adult male)

Type locality: "3.2 km SE Viesca [25 °2rN, 102 °48'W], Coahuila, [Mexico]"

 

Paratypes:

SM(BCB) 9823 (adult male)
SM(BCB) 11460 (adult female)
SM(BCB) 11461 (adult female)
SM(BCB) 11462 (adult female)
SM(BCB) 11463 (adult female)
SM(BCB) 11464 (adult female)
SM(BCB) 11465 (adult female)

 

Media

 

 

References

Original scientific description:

Iverson, John B. (1981). Biosystematics of the Kinosternon hirtipes species group (Testudines: Kinosternidae). Tulane Studies in Zoology and Botany 23(1): 1-74.

 

Other references:

Joseph-Ouni, M. (2003). The Zoogeography of Turtles, Crocodiles & Tuataras. EO Wildlife Conservation & Artistry, New York, 134 pp.

Jacobo Reyes-Velasco, John B. Iverson and Oscar Flores-Villela. (2013). The Conservation Status of Several Endemic Mexican Kinosternid Turtles. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 12(1): 203-208. [Abstract]

Serb, J. M., Phillips, C. A. and Iverson, J. B. (2001). Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Kinosternon flavescens based on complete mitochondrial control region sequences. Mol Phylogenet Evol. 18: 149-162.

Turtle Extinctions Working Group et al. (2015). Turtles and Tortoises of the World During the Rise and Global Spread of Humanity: First Checklist and Review of Extinct Pleistocene and Holocene Chelonians. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5: 1-66.

van Dijk, P.P., Hammerson, G., Vazquez Diaz, J., Quintero Diaz, G.E., Santos, G. & Flores-Villela, O. (2007). Kinosternon hirtipes. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. (http://www.iucnredlist.org). Downloaded on 02 March 2013.

Peter Paul van Dijk, John B. Iverson, Anders G.J. Rhodin,H. Bradley Shaffer, and Roger Bour. (2014). Turtles of the World, 7th Edition: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution with Maps, and Conservation Status. 000.v7. Chelonian Research Monographs (ISSN 1088-7105) No. 5.

http://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/10111/kinosternon-hirtipes-megacephalum-viesca-turtle

 

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