Geoemyda
Encyclopedia
Geoemyda is a genus
of freshwater
turtle
s in the family
Geoemydidae
(formerly Bataguridae). It contains the following species:
Geoemyda was used as a "wastebin taxon
" in former times, uniting a number of distinct lineages of forest turtles from East
and Southeast Asia
. These are now regarded as distinct and placed in the genera Heosemys
, Hieremys (often placed in Heosemys), Leucocephalon, Melanochelys
, Siebenrockiella
(including Panayanemys) and Vijayachelys.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Geoemydidae
Geoemydidae
Geoemydidae is the largest and most diverse family in the order Testudines with about 70 species. It includes the Eurasian pond and river turtles and Neotropical wood turtles.-Characteristics:...
(formerly Bataguridae). It contains the following species:
- Ryukyu Black-breasted Leaf TurtleRyukyu Black-breasted Leaf TurtleThe Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle or Ryukyu leaf turtle, Geoemyda japonica, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae . It is endemic to the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. In 1975 the species was designated a National Natural Monument of Japan. It grows to approximately 5–6 inches long...
, Geoemyda japonica - Black-breasted Hill TurtleBlack-breasted Hill TurtleThe Black-breasted leaf turtle, Vietnamese leaf turtle or Black-breasted hill turtle is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae . It is found in China and Vietnam....
, Geoemyda spengleri
Geoemyda was used as a "wastebin taxon
Wastebin taxon
Wastebasket taxon is a term used in some taxonomic circles to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined by their lack of one or more distinct character states or by their not belonging to one or more other taxa...
" in former times, uniting a number of distinct lineages of forest turtles from East
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. These are now regarded as distinct and placed in the genera Heosemys
Heosemys
Heosemys is a genus of freshwater turtles in the family Geoemydidae . The genus Heosemys was split out of the related genus Geoemyda by McDowell in 1964.-Species:...
, Hieremys (often placed in Heosemys), Leucocephalon, Melanochelys
Melanochelys
Melanochelys is a genus of turtle in the Geoemydidae family. Members are found in India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.-Species:Melanochelys contain only the following two species:* Indian black turtle...
, Siebenrockiella
Siebenrockiella
Siebenrockiella is a small genus of black marsh turtles. It was formerly monotypic but now has two species with the addition of the Philippine forest turtle...
(including Panayanemys) and Vijayachelys.