Hydromedusa tectifera Cope 1870- South American Snake-necked Turtle, Argentine Snake-necked Turtle, Tortuga Cuello de Vibora, Cágado Pescoço de Cobra.

ALCALDE L; SANCHEZ RM; PRITCHARD PCH

Chelonian Research Monographs

Chelonian research Foundation and Turtle Conservancy

Año: 2021 vol. 5 p. 1 - 17

1088-7105

The South American Snake-necked Turtle, Hydromedusa tectifera (FamilyChelidae), is a medium-sized freshwater turtle, found in southern Brazil, Uruguay, southernParaguay, and east and central Argentina. Maximum recorded straight carapace length (CL)is 30.6 cm in females and 28.4 cm in males, although most individuals are usually less than 25.0cm. Its skull and carapace structure show characters quite distinct from those of the superficiallysimilar chelid snake-necked turtles of Australia (genus Chelodina). Clutch size is 5?15 eggs andeggs are elongate, ranging from ca. 24?40 x 20?24 mm; hatchlings have a CL of ca. 35?37 mm.Preferred habitats for H. tectifera consist primarily of natural lentic and lotic waters, includinganthropogenically altered or constructed habitats (e.g., creeks, dams, lakes, lagoons, streams, rivers, and coastal estuaries). The species is specialized for feeding upon a wide spectrum of food items, mainly aquatic arthropods. The international pet trade in this species is modest, and although it seems to be affected by industrial and agricultural pollution in several parts of the range (e.g., Rio de Janeiro State in Brazil, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina), it shows considerably greater tolerance for polluted conditions than does its congener H. maximiliani.Distribution. ? Central and northeastern Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Entre Ríos,Misiones, Santa Fe, Salta, San Luis, Santiago del Estero), southern Brazil (Minas Gerais, Paraná,Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo), southeastern Paraguay (AltoParaná, Itapuá, Guairá), and most of Uruguay.Synonymy. ? Hydromedusa tectifera Cope 1870, Hydromedusa platanensis Gray 1873,Hydromedusa platensis, Platemys antiqua ? Ameghino 1882 (nomen nudum), Platemys fossilis? Ameghino 1882 (nomen nudum), Platemys laevis ? Ameghino 1882 (nomen nudum), Platemysrobusta ? Ameghino 1882 (nomen nudum), Hydromedusa wagleri Günther 1884.Subspecies. ? None currently recognized.Status. ? IUCN 2021 Red List: Least Concern (LC) [Not Listed] (TFTSG 1996); TFTSGProvisional Red List: Least Concern (LC; assessed 2011); CITES: Not Listed; U.S. ESA: Not Listed.