Elseya albagula THOMSON, GEORGES & LIMPUS, 2006
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Elseya albagula
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| Higher Taxa | Chelidae, Chelodininae, Pleurodira, Testudines (turtles) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: White-throated Snapping Turtle |
| Synonym | Elseya stirlingi WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985 (nomen dubium) Elseya albagula THOMSON, GEORGES & LIMPUS 2006 Elseya dentata albagula — ARTNER 2008 Elseya albagula — GEORGES & THOMSON 2010 Elseya (Pelocomastes) albagula — THOMSON et al. 2015 Elseya (Pelocomastes) albagula — TTWG 2017: 195 Elseya albagula — TTWG 2021 |
| Distribution | Australia (E Queensland) Type locality: plunge pool at the downstream side of the Ned Churchwood Weir, Burnett River, Queensland, Australia (25°03’ S, 152°05’ E). |
| Reproduction | oviparous. |
| Types | Holotype: QM J81785, adult female collected by Duncan Limpus on 24 October 2004. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: The largest extant species of Elseya, reaching carapace lengths of 420 mm. Belongs to the E. dentata generic group, and as such can be distinguished from all members of the E. latisternum generic group by the following combination of characters: parietal arch narrow, much narrower than the otic chamber; head shield does not extend from the dorsal surface of the skull down the parietal arch toward the tympanum; alveolar ridge present on the triturating surfaces of the mouth; intergular scute narrow, maximum width less than that of the gulars. Elseya albagula can be distinguished from species within the E. dentata generic group by the following combination of characters: skull robust but narrows acutely across the pterygoids behind the processus pterygoideus ext ernus; head shield deeply furrowed to the extent that osteologically there are also deep furrows in the dorsal surface of the skull of large adults; alveolar ridge on the triturating surfaces and underlying bone of the upper jaw very prominent, forming a complex with the equally prominent lingual ridge. This complex corresponds with prominent ridges and cavities in the lower jaw to form shearing surfaces; lingual ridge of maxilla expanded such that, in older specimens, it obscures the foramen praepalatinum in ventral view. Anterior carapace blunt, with the first and second marginal scutes approximately equal in their anterior extent in large individuals; carapace with serrated margin, most prominent in juveniles where serrations begin at the posterior edge of marginal 1; serrated margin persists into early adulthood; cervical scute absent, except as a rare variant; anterior plastron broad, not oval in outline; posterior bridge strut articulates with the carapace posterior to the midline of pleural 5 or on the junction of pleurals 5 and 6, rarely on pleural 6 alone. |
| Comment | Synonymy: Elseya stirlingi WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985 is a subjective senior synonym and nomen dubium fide IVERSON et al. 2001. See also Elseya irwini. Habitat: freshwater (rivers, swamps) |
| Etymology | The name albagula is derived from the Latin adjective ‘‘alba’’ meaning white (feminine) and the noun ‘‘gula’’ for throat, which is also feminine. Hence the name means ‘‘white throat,’’ and refers to the white or cream throat commonly seen in adult females of this species. |
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