An Introduction to the Elseya
by Scott Thomson .
The genus Elseya or Australian Snapping Turtles are indigenous to Australia,
New Guinea and Indonesia. The type species for the genus is Elseya dentata, the Northern
Snapping Turtle. For many years the members of the Elseya latisternum generic group has been
referenced in here as well. Of recent times it has been demonstrated that the E. latisternum
group actually form a unique genus (Georges and Adams, 1992, 1996; Thomson et al. 1997).
As such what we are referring to here are two genera and one is undescribed. The undescribed genus is
currently being described by myself and Arthur Georges. We will, for convenience sake keep the E.
latisternum group here for the present time, until they have their own name. However, we will
consider them as separate genera. Hence the species are as follows:
Elseya dentata generic group:
Elseya dentata (Gray, 1863) from the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia,
Australia.
Elseya albagula (Thomson et al., 2006) from the Mary, Fitzroy and Burnett Rivers of southern,
coastal Queensland, Australia.
Elseya branderhorsti (Ouwens, 1914) from Western Province of Papua New Guinea and southern Irian
Jaya, Indonesia.
Elseya irwini (Cann, 1997b) from central coastal Queensland, Australia.
Elseya lavarackorum (White and Archer, 1994) from Riversliegh, Northern Queensland, Australia.
Elseya novaeguineae (Meyer, 1874) from the north western regions of Irian Jaya, Indonesia.
Elseya schultzei (Vogt, 1911) from the north coastal region of Papua New Guinea.
Elseya sp. aff. dentata (Alligator River) (De Vis, C.W. 1897.) from eastern Arhnem
Land region of the Northern Territory, Australia.
Elseya sp. aff. lavarackorum (Johnstone River) (sensu Georges and Adams, 1992) from the
Johnstone to Hartley Creek regions and Atherton Tablelands of northern Queensland, Australia.
Elseya nadibajagu ‡ (Thomson and Mackness, 2000) from the Charters Towers region of
northern, coastal Queensland, Australia.
Elseya uberima ‡ (De Vis, C.W. 1897.) from the Darling Downs region of southern,
central Queensland, Australia. (sensu Thomson 2000).
There are also a number of undescribed forms in New Guinea that as yet have not been appropriately
delineated. Though are undoubtedly species.
‡ Fossil Form
Elseya latisternum generic group:
Elseya latisternum (Gray, 1867) from eastern and northern Australia.
Elseya belli (Gray, 1844) from the Namoi / Gwydir Drainage of New South Wales, Australia.
Elseya georgesi (Cann, 1997a) from the Bellingen River, New South Wales, Australia.
Elseya purvisi (Wells and Wellington, 1985) from the manning River, New South Wales, Australia.
References
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