Historical Papers
Ramsay, E.P. 1886. On a new genus and species of fresh water tortoise from the Fly River, New Guinea. proceedings of the Linnaean Society of New South Wales. (2)1:158-162.
The 2nd to 6th marginal plates narrow, the 7th much wider behind than in front, 8th almost square, the remainder gradually increasing in width to the 10th, which has its outer border one-fourth greater than its upper, which joins the last two costal plates.
All the marginals from the 6th are slightly curved upwards and outwards to their outer margin, the central is keeled on its anterior half where it forms the last part of the dorsal ridge, adjoining the pygal, but is rounded posteriorly, bevelled off at its hinder margin like the rest. All the marginals from the 6th are very compressed and thinned off, forming a cutting outer edge.
The plastron or ventral shield is flat, of 9 plates, between the 1st and 2nd pairs the interclavicle a 4-sided plate is wedged in, having the two anterior or apical sides nearly twice as long as the posterior and forming an acute angle between the first pair of clavicles; 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pairs of plates with a straight median suture (See plate III); the 2nd and 3rd pairs anchylosed to the 4th and 7th marginals. The whole of the plates of the carapace and sternum are covered with small round raised rugations or wavy irregular raised lines between shallow sculptures, towards the lower borders on the sides, these take an elongated form sometimes parallel to the sutures.
Hind portion of the head, the neck, and the legs covered with a smooth skin; head with 5 to 7 plates, anterior and median pair anchylosed. Nostrils anterior, widely grooved in front, coronal plates bent down behind the eyes, mandibles with a sharp cutting horny edge, the synphysis of the upper jaw rounded in front and notched at the sides. Palate grooved on either side (where not cut away), the occipital shields are large and broad and rugose like those on the back. Head large and wide, throat swollen, skin bare around the eye, no preorbital ridges.
Measurements.-Total length of carapace 18 inches; along the curve of the back 19 inches; breadth through widest part 13.6 inches; over the back 18 inches; plastron in length 14.5 inches; breadth 11.5 inches; head and neck 7 inches, from nostril to eye 1.7, from nostril to posterior margin of occipital shield 3.4 inches; wrist and hand to tip of 3rd finger, 6 inches; width 2.5 inches; hind fin from plastron 8 inches; width 3 inches; tail from plastron 4 inches; free portion of marginal plate over the tail 2.7 inches.
| Marginals | 10 + 10 + 1 | 21 | ||
| Costals | 8 + 8 | 16 | ||
| Pygal | 1 | 1 | ||
| Nuchal | 1 | 1 | ||
| Vertebral or Neural | traceable from without | 6 only | ||
| Plastron or Ventral Shield | 9 distinct plates | |||
| Episternal | 1 + 1 | 2 | ||
| Interclavicle | 1 | 1 | ||
| Hyposternals | 1 + 1 | 2 | ||
| Hyosternals | 1 + 1 | 2 | ||
| Xiphisternals | 1 + 1 | 2 |
The two triangular plates at the side, shown in pl. III, are probably only the curved-in portions of the adjacent marginals, ad have been cut away in the present specimen.
Remarks.-I had provisionally placed this genus near the genus Cyclanosteus, as it appeared to me to be allied to that genus and to Emyda, but finding that it differed so considerably from both, I have been obliged to create a new genus Carettochelys for its reception. If the ossified portions of the genus Emyda (Gray), were anchylosed and the posterior flap absorbed, the plastron would be almost identicle with the present species. There is nothing in Gray's Catalogue or Supplement that comes nearer to it than these genera, but it appears to me to be a link between the river tortoises and the sea turtles.
The eggs with this specimen prove it to be a female; they are white, hard shelled and almost quite round, 1.55 x 1.5 inches in diameter.
Unreferred Plates
Plate IV
Plate V
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