Chelodina walloyarrina MCCORD & JOSEPH-OUNI, 2007
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Chelodina walloyarrina
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| Higher Taxa | Chelidae, Chelodininae, Pleurodira, Testudines (turtles) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Kimberley Snake-necked Turtle |
| Synonym | Chelodina burrungandjii walloyarrina MCCORD & JOSEPH-OUNI 2007 Macrochelodina walloyarrina MCCORD & JOSEPH-OUNI 2007 Macrochelodina wallyarrina — VALVERDE 2010 (in error) Chelodina (Macrochelodina) walloyarrina — TTWG 2014 Chelodina walloyarrina — DOODY et al. 2021 Chelodina walloyarrina — TTWG 2021 |
| Distribution | Australia (Western Australia) Type locality: The Fitzroy River at Fitzroy River Crossing, Western Australia, Australia, 18° 10.834’ S and 125° 35.849’ E. |
| Reproduction | oviparous. |
| Types | Holotype: WAM R164345, an adult male (224 mm carapace length), preserved in alcohol, collected by Dion Wedd, Glen Erikson, Jack Cover, and John Seyjagat in the Fitzroy River, on 20 July 2004 (Western Australian Museum) |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (walloyarrina): The following differentiates Macrochelodina walloyarrina sp. nov. from its morphologically closest congener M. burrungandjii and its biogeographically closest congeners M. rugosa (allopatric) and M. kuchlingi(sympatric). Of the characters given in the foregoing description, only those that help differentiate M. walloyarrina from M. burrungandjii, M. rugosa, and M. kuchlingiare given here. Head. Macrochelodina walloyarrina has a high HW to HL ratio (0.74) for the M. rugosa complex (average 0.71); the same ratios are present in eastern (Cape York and New Guinea) M. rugosa (0.74); lower ratios (narrower and/or longer head) are present in western (Darwin and Daley River) M. rugosa(0.69), and M. kuchlingi (0.63); and the highest ratio (widest and/or shortest head) is present in M. burrungandjii (0.76). The head robusticity (HW x HD/HL) of M. walloyarrina is 5% less than that of M. burrungandjii, 9% less than that of (average) M. rugosa, and 6% more than that of M. kuchlingi. The parietal roof of M. walloyarrina is 11% narrower (in relation to head width) than that of M. burrungandjii and that of M. rugosa, and 20% narrower than that of M. kuchlingi. M. walloyarrina has three to four pairs of barbels with the most medial one or two pairs being notably long (hence the common name “bearded longneck”), and although M. burrungandjii may also have three to four pairs of barbels, usually only the more medial pair will be as much as intermediate in length. M. rugosa and M. kuchlingi usually have only one pair of small medial barbels, with one or two pairs of light colored tubercles behind the barbels. The interorbital width relative to head width of M. walloyarrina equals that of M. burrungandjii, but is 7% less than that of M. rugosa, and 13% less than that of M. kuchlingi. The iris of M. walloyarrina varies in color from olive or green to orange or rust with an inner white to gold ring, whereas the iris of M. burrungandjii is chocolate or rust-colored with a light gold inner ring, and the iris of M. rugosa (M. kuchlingi unknown) is yellow to gold with a black perimeter and a thin white to light-yellow inner ring. Dorsal head color of both M. walloyarrina and M. burrungandjii varies from olive green to black, whereas that of M. rugosa and M. kuchlingi is usually black, occasionally brown. The tympana in M. walloyarrina and M. burrungandjii are usually white with olive green mottling, whereas in M. rugosa and M. kuchlingi the tympana are white with black mottling. |
| Comment | Habitat: freshwater (rivers, swamps) Synonymy: Chelodina walloyarrina was not listed by COGGER 2014 and probably considered as a synonym of Chelodina burrungandjii by him. |
| Etymology | The name walloyarrina is a combination of two Australian aboriginal words — wallo meaning “chin,” and yarrin meaning “bearded” — in accord with the common name “bearded longneck turtle” often given to the longnecks of the Kimberley (because of their long barbels). |
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