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Erymnochelys madagascariensis (GRANDIDIER, 1867)

IUCN Red List - Erymnochelys madagascariensis - Critically Endangered, CR
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Higher TaxaPodocnemididae, Pelomedusoidea, Pleurodira, Testudines (turtles)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Madagascan Big-headed Side-necked Turtle
G: Madagaskar-Schienenschildkröte 
SynonymDumerilia madagascariensis GRANDIDIER 1867: 232
Dumerilia madagascariensis — GRAY 1873: 149
Podocnemis madagascariensis — BOULENGER 1889
Podocnemis madagascariensis var. bifilaris BOETTGER 1893
Podocnemis madagascariensis — SIEBENROCK 1902: 106
Erymnochelys madagascariensis — MERTENS 1972
Erymnochelys madagascariensis — FRAIR et al. 1978
Erymnochelys madagascariensis — ERNST & BARBOUR 1989: 30
Erymnochelys madagascariensis — GLAW & VENCES 1994: 227
Erymnochelys madagascariensis — LIVIGNI 2013: 303
Erymnochelys madagascariensis — TTWG 2021
Erymnochelys madagascariensis — TTWG 2025 
DistributionMadagascar

Type locality: "Mouroundava (=Morondava) Tsidsibouque flumina in occidentali insulae Madagasacar littore."  
Reproductionoviparous. 
TypesHolotype: MNHN-RA 9544 (formerly 688a and 1867.46)
Holotypus: SMF 7982 [bifilaris] 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 2607 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentThe original genus, Dumerilia, is preoccupied and therefore not available; see Wermuth and Mertens 1977.

Conservation: This is one of the 25 most endangered turtle species according to a 2003 assessment by the IUCN.

Type species: Dumerilia madagascariensis GRANDIDIER 1867 is the type species of the genus Erymnochelys BAUR 1888: 421 (footnote).

Habitat: freshwater (Lakes, quiet rivers)

Karyotype: Rhodin et al. (1978) and Bull and Legler (1980) re-
ported the diploid condition to be 28 biarmed chromosomes (3 large to medium-sized metacentrics or submetacentrics, 2 large to medium-sized subtelocentrics, and 9 small to very small metacentrics and submetacentrics).

Distribution: see map in TTWG 2025. 
EtymologyNamed after the type locality.

The genus was named after Greek eryma = fence, guard, wall, erymnos = fenced, and Greek chelys (χέλυς) = tortoise. 
References
  • Baur, G. 1888. Osteologische Notizen über Reptilien. Fortsetzung III, IV, V. Zool. Anz. 11: 417-424, 592-597, 736-740 - get paper here
  • Bonin, F., Devaux, B. & Dupré, A. 2006. Turtles of the World. English translation by P.C.H. Pritchard. Johns Hopkins University Press, 416 pp.
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1889. Catalogue of the chelonians, rhynchocephalians, and crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). British Museum, London, 311 pp. - get paper here
  • Bour, R. 2008. Global diversity of turtles (Chelonii; Reptilia) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 595:593–598 - get paper here
  • Bour, Roger 2006. Types of Podocnemidae in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Emys 13 (1): 27-40
  • Castellano, Christina M.; Anders G.J. Rhodin, Michael Ogle, Russell A. Mittermeier, <br />Herilala Randriamahazo, Rick Hudson, and Richard E. Lewis, Eds. 2014. Turtles on the Brink in Madagascar: Proceedings of Two Workshops on the Status, Conservation, and Biology of Malagasy Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles. Chelonian Research Monographs, doi: 10.3854/crm.6 - get paper here
  • Ernst,C.H. and Barbour,R.W. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. - London
  • Gaffney, Eugene S.; Peter A. Meylan, Roger C. Wood, Elwyn Simons, and Diogenes De Almeida Campos 2011. Evolution of the Side-Necked Turtles: The Family Podocnemididae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (350): 1-237 - get paper here
  • Gardner CJ, Raxworthy CJ, Metcalfe K, Raselimanana AP, Smith RJ, Davies ZG 2015. Comparing Methods for Prioritising Protected Areas for Investment: A Case Study Using Madagascar’s Dry Forest Reptiles. PLoS One 10 (7): e0132803, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0132803 - get paper here
  • Glaw ,F. & Vences, M. 1994. A Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. Vences & Glaw Verlag, Köln (ISBN 3-929449-01-3)
  • Grandidier, A. 1867. Liste des reptiles nouveaux découverts, en 1866, sur la côte sud-ouest de Madagascar. Revue et Magazine de Zoologie (Paris), Sér. 2, 19: 232-234
  • Gray,J.E. 1873. Notes on tortoises. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (4) 11: 143-149 - get paper here
  • Kuchling, G. 1992. Biologie und Lebensraum von Erymnochelys madagascariensis (GRANDIDIER, 1967) und Vergleich mit den anderen Wasserschildkröten Madagaskars. Salamandra 28 (3-4): 231-250 - get paper here
  • Kuchling, G. 1993. Possible Biennial Ovarian Cycle of the Freshwater Turtle Erymnochelys madagascariensis Journal of Herpetology 27 (4): 470-472. - get paper here
  • Kuchling, Gerald. 2006. Endoscopic sex determination in juvenile freshwater turtles, Erymnochelys madagascariensis: Morphology of gonads and acessory ducts. Chelonian Conserv. Biol. 5 (1): 67-73 - get paper here
  • Kuchling, Gerald;Mittermeier, Russell A. 1993. Status and exploitation of the Madagascan big-head turtle, Erymnochelys madagascariensis. Chelonian Conserv. Biol. 1 (1): 13-18
  • LiVigni, F. (ed.) 2013. A Life for Reptiles and Amphibians, Volume 1. Chimaira, Frankfurt, 495 pp. - get paper here
  • McCord, W.P., Joseph-Ouni, M. & Bour, R. 2004. Chelonian Illustrations #15: Madagascan Big-Headed, African Helmeted, and West African Mud Turtles. Reptilia (GB) (35): 63-67 - get paper here
  • Mertens, R. 1967. Die herpetologische Sektion des Natur-Museums und Forschungs-Institutes Senckenberg in Frankfurt am Main nebst einem Verzeichnis ihrer Typen. Senckenbergiana Biologica 48: 1-106 - get paper here
  • Mertens, Robert 1972. Madagaskars Herpetofauna und die Kontinentaldrift. Studien über die Reptilienfauna Madagaskars VI. Zoologische Mededelingen (Leiden), 46 (7): 91-98. - get paper here
  • Praschag, Reiner 2024. Schienenschildkröten: Geschichte, Haltung und Zucht von Erymnochelys madagascariensis und Peltocephalus dumerilianus (ehemalige Arten der Gattung Podocnemis). Elaphe 2024 (3): 74-85
  • RAFELIARISOA,TSILAVO; GARY SHORE; SHANNON ENGBERG; EDWARD LOUIS JR and RICK BRENNEMAN 2006. PRIMER NOTE: Characterization of 11 microsatellite marker loci in the Malagasy big-headed turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis). Molecular Ecology Notes 6: 1228–1230 - get paper here
  • Siebenrock, F. 1902. Zur Systematik der Schildkrötengattung Podocnemis Wagl. Anzeiger der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe, Wien, 27: 104-106 - get paper here
  • Tronc, E., and S. Vuillemin. 1974. Contribution a l'étude de la fauna endémique Malagache: Étude ostéologique de Erymnochelys madagascariensis Grandidier, 1867 (Chelonien, Pelomedusidae). Bulletin de l'Académie de Malagache. 51 (1): 189-224.
  • Tronc, E.; Vuillemin, S. 1973. Contribution a l'etude osteologique de Erymnochelys madagascariensis GRANDIDIER, 1867. Bull. Acad. Malg. 51:189-224.
  • TTWG [TURTLE TAXONOMY WORKING GROUP: RHODIN, A.G.J., IVERSON, J.B., FRITZ, U., GALLEGO-GARCÍA, N., GEORGES, A., SHAFFER, H.B., AND VAN DuK, P.P.]. 2025. Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (10th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., van Dijk, P.P., Stanford, C.B., Goode, E.V., Buhlmann, K.A., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 10:1-575 - get paper here
  • TTWG; Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., Bour, R., Fritz, U., Georges, A., Shaffer, H.B., and van Dijk, P.P. 2021. Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (9th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., van Dijk, P.P., Stanford, C.B., Goode, E.V., Buhlmann, K.A., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 8:1–472. doi:10.3854/crm.8.checklist.atlas.v9.2021. - get paper here
  • Wermuth, H., and R. Mertens. 1977. Liste der rezenten Amphibien und Reptilien. Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia. Das Tierreich. Berlin. 100: i-xxvii, 1-174 - get paper here
  • WHITE, NINA F.D.; HOLLY MENNELL, GEORGIA POWER, DOMINIC EDWARDS, LUKE CHRIMES, LANCE WOOLAVER, JULIETTE VELOSOA, RANDRIAMAHITA, RICHARD MOZAVELO, TSILAVO HASINA RAFELIARISOA, GERALD KUCHLING, JAVIER LOPEZ, ERNEST BEKARANY, NAMOTOA CHARLES, RICHARD YO 2022. A population genetic analysis of the Critically Endangered Madagascar big-headed turtle, Erymnochelys madagascariensis across captive and wild populations. Scientific Reports 12(1): 8740. - get paper here
  • Winkler, J.D. 2006. Testing phylogenetic implications of eggshell characters in side-necked turtles (Testudines: Pleurodira). Zoology 109: 127-136 - get paper here
  • Ziegler, Thomas; Joel Kamphausen, Frank Glaw, Angelica Crot- tini,, Gerardo Garcia, Dennis Rödder, Anna Rauhaus, Lilli Sten- ger & Anna Wahle 2022. Threatened Malagasy amphibians and reptiles in zoos – a call for enhanced implementation of the IUCN’s One Plan Approach Zool. Garten N.F. 90: 21-69 - get paper here
 
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