.::::: Turtles of the World :::::.

Turtles are widespread in many parts of the world, with highest diversity in southern Asia and northern America. Species are found in some of the driest deserts and the deepest of seas.

We will in time make this site as interactive as possible, with a species list for each country, and with individual genus accounts, telling as much as possible about each species and giving a full list of references. Any help with this project will be fully appreciated.

Carettochelyidae Dermochelyidae Pelomedusidae
Chelidae Emydidae Platysternidae
Cheloniidae Geoemydidae Podocnemididae
Chelydridae Kinosternidae Testudinidae
Dermatemydidae   Trionychidae

 

Cuora galbinifrons
(© Jan Grathwohl)
Literature
Baur, G. 1893. Notes on the classification and taxonomy of the Testudinata. Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., 31: 210-225.
Boulenger, G.A. 1889. Catalogue of the chelonians, rhynchocephalians, and crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). Taylor and Francis, London, 311 pp.
Carr, A. 1952. Handbook of Turtles. The turtles of the United States, Canada, and Baja California, Cornell Univ. press, Ithaca, NY, 542 pp.
Ernst, C.H. & R.W. Barbour. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., and London, 314 pp.
Gray, J.E. 1844. Catalogue of the tortoises, crocodiles, and amphisbaenians in the Collection of the British Museum. London, 80 pp.
Gray, J.E. 1855. Catalogue of shield reptiles in the collection of the British Museum. part I. Testudinata (tortoises). Taylor and Francis, London, 79 pp.
Gray, J.E. 1869. Notes on the families and genera of tortoises (Testudinata) and on the characters afforded by the study of their skulls. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1869: 165-225.
Gray, J.E. 1873. Observations on Chelonians, with Descriptions of new Genera and Species. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., London, (4)11: 289-308.
Gray, J.E. 1873. Hand-list of the specimens of shield reptiles in the British Museum. London, iv + 124 pp.
Iverson, J.B. 1992. A Revised Checklist with Distribution Maps of the Turtles of the World. Richmond, IN: Privately printed, 363 pp.
Loveridge, A. & E.E. Williams. 1957. Revision of the African tortoises and turtles of the suborder Cryptodira. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 115: 163-557.
Quay, W.B. 1976. Impression Tonometry of Chelonian Eggs (Reptilia, Testudines) A Guide to Internal Pressure and Membrane Phenomena. J. Herpetol., 10(2): 55-62.
Peter, G. 1983. SOS für alle Meeresschildkröten - skandalöse Vermarktung in den Industrieländern. herpetofauna, 5(23): 17-19.
Pritchard, P.C.H. 1967. Living turtles of the world. T.F.H. Publ., 288 pp.
Pritchard, P.C.H. 1979. Encyclopedia of Turtles. T.F.H. Publ., Inc. Neptune, New Jersey, 895 pp.
Schneider, J.G. 1783. Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Schildkröten, nebst einem System. Verzeichnisse der einzelnen Arten. Leipzig, 364 pp.
Schoepff, J.D. 1792-1801. Historia testudinum iconibus illustrate. Erlangae, Io. Iac. Palmii, xii + 136 pp.
Schweigger, A.F. 1812. Prodromous Monographiae Cheloniorum. Konigsberger Arch. Naturwiss. Math., 1: 271-368, 406-458.
Williams, E.E. 1950. Variation and selection in the cervical central articulations of living turtles. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 94: 505-562.