Elseya caelatus JOSEPH-OUNI & MCCORD, 2019
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Elseya caelatus
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| Higher Taxa | Chelidae, Chelodininae, Pleurodira, Testudines (turtles) |
| Subspecies | Elseya caelatus caelatus JOSEPH-OUNI & MCCORD 2019 Elseya caelatus ayamaru JOSEPH-OUNI & MCCORD 2019 |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Elseya caelatus JOSEPH-OUNI & MCCORD 2019: 25 Elseya caelatus ayamaru JOSEPH-OUNI & MCCORD 2019 |
| Distribution | Indonesia (West Papua) Type locality: Salawati Island, West Papua Province, (New Guinean) Indonesia. ayamaru: Indonesia (West Papua); Ayamaru lakes, West Papua Province, (New Guinean) Indonesia. |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Hololype: AMNH R-178715, adult female (Plate I) with a straight carapace length 195.66 mm, collected by F. Yuwono, November, 1994. Paratype: AMNH #R-178716, adult male (Plate 2) with a straight carapace length 186.25 mm, collected by F. Yuwono, November, 1994 from Waigeo Island, West Papua Province, (New Guinean) Indonesia. Hololype: AMNH R-178717, adult male, with a straight carapace length 138.04 mm, collected by F. Yuwono, November, 1994 from the Ayamaru lakes, West Papua Province, (New Guinean) Indonesia. Paratype: AMNH R-178718, juvenile female (Plate 7) with a straight carapace length 113.42 mm, collected by F. Yuwono. November 1994 [ayamaru] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A relatively medium-sized New Guinea species in the genus Elseya, smaller in adult size than E. novaeguineae, that is characterized by the following features: An overall oval, low, evenly arched carapace forming a low median vertebral keel; carapace scutes with heavily indented straight and angular growth lines, all creating a wood-sculptured effect, along with off-set overlapping posterior marginals beginning at M8, which create a serrated flare to the posterior carapace; a small circular black blotch present on the mid-caudal aspect of each costal and vertebral scute; a smaller black blotch present at the anterio-Iateral corner of each marginal scute beginning at M3; a light brown band circumscribing the entire carapace on the lateral costals and anterior V1 and posterior V5 where they contact the marginais, most evident on wild specimens; a squared nuchal scute that protrudes slightly anterior to M1, also with slight anterior protruding of M1 in relation to M2; the V1-C1 scute seams contact the anterior one-quarter length of M2; all scutes with some degree of radiating fine brown lines; a sudden depression in the posterior carapace from the anterior V4 to the posterior of M12; a dark black-brown horny head shield (casque) bordered anteriorly by a lime-green interorbital band and laterally by a broad lime-green temporal band on the head; the longitudinal extensions of the casque along the side of the head do not contact the rim of the tympanum, being separated by several rows of small scales; a light-green infused gray sclera, and bright green iris with dark green flecking throughout. |
| Comment | Distribution: see map in JOSEPH-OUNI & MCCORD 2019: 31 (Fig. 1). |
| Etymology | Named after the Latin, meaning "carved" in reference to the strongly sculpted carapacial texture in both young and adult specimens. E. c. ayamaru was named after the type locality. |
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