Actinemys is a small genus of turtles in the family Emydidae.[1] The genus is endemic to the west coast of North America. The genus contains two species.
| Actinemys | |
|---|---|
| |
| Western pond turtle, (Actinemys marmorata) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
| Family: | Emydidae |
| Subfamily: | Emydinae |
| Genus: | Actinemys Agassiz, 1857 |
Species edit
The following two species are recognized as being valid.[1]
- Actinemys marmorata (Baird & Girard, 1852) – northwestern pond turtle, northern Pacific pond turtle
- Actinemys pallida (Seeliger, 1945) – southwestern pond turtle, southern Pacific pond turtle
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Actinemys.
Taxonomy edit
Both species are sometimes included in the genus Emys (sensu lato).[2] Actinemys pallida, the southwestern pond turtle, has been a recent split from Actinemys marmorata, of which it was previously considered a subspecies.
References edit
- ^ a b "Actinemys ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org [1].
- ^ Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Iverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley; Roger, Bour (2011-12-31). "Turtles of the world, 2011 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status" (PDF). Chelonian Research Monographs. 5: 000.185. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-31.
Further reading edit
- Agassiz L (1857). Contributions to the Natural History of the United States. Vol I. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. li + 452 pp. (Actinemys, new genus, p. 444).