Keys to the Elseya: Australasian Snapping Turtles

Scott Thomson.

1.

Alveolar not visible on the triturating surface or small and undefined.

2.

Alveolar ridge large with a clear lingual ridge; carapace indented at the nuchal cleft.

5.

2.

Nuchal Scute generally absent; no vertebral keel.

3.

Nuchal scute generally present; vertebral keel generally present.

4.

3.

Plastron base colour cream or yellow but extensively stained black/ brown; head shield fenestrated but a single unit; temporal tubercles larger than above, blunt and slightly protruding, cornified.

Elseya dentata
Northern Snapping Turtle

Plastron cream or yellow in colour with no black/ brown staining; head shield broken into a number of small units; temporal tubercles small, blunt and rounded, not cornified.

Elseya sp. aff. dentata
Yellow Bellied Snapping Turtle

4.

in prep

Elseya novaeguineae
New Guinea Snapping Turtle

in prep.

Elseya schultzeii
Schultz's Snapping Turtle

5.

Leading and trailing eyespots absent; some degree of white colouration of the head.

6.

Leading and trailing eyespots present, plastron pale with fine reticulate pattern.

Elseya lavarackorum
Gulf Snapping Turtle

6.

Plastron black or dark brown, blotched.

7.

Plastron pink to red, sometimes dark yellow in old animals; eye with gold iris with white ring, skin often flushed with pink or red.

Elseya branderhorsti
Pink Bellied Snapping Turtle

7.

Head grey to black on top, possibly with white blotches and markings; nose grey eyes green to brown.

8.

Head completely white to grey in colour; nose pink; eyes blue.

Elseya irwini
Irwin's Snapping Turtle

8.

Shell highly spinose; tricarinate vertebral ridges and broadly oval.

Elseya sp. aff. lavarackorum
Southern Snapping Turtle

Shell not spinose; no vertebral ridges and broadly square at anterior end.

Elseya sp. aff. lavarackorum
Atherton Snapping Turtle