Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation ProjectTurtles of the IUCN/SSC of the World Tortoise – 2012and Freshwater Checklist Turtle Specialist Group 000.243 A.G.J. Rhodin, P.C.H. Pritchard, P.P. van Dijk, R.A. Saumure, K.A. Buhlmann, J.B. Iverson, and R.A. Mittermeier, Eds. Chelonian Research Monographs (ISSN 1088-7105) No. 5, doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v5.2012 © 2012 by Chelonian Research Foundation • Published 31 December 2012 Turtles of the World, 2012 Update: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status TUR T LE TAXONOMY WORKING GROUP * *Authorship of this article is by this working group of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, which for the purposes of this document consisted of the following contributors: PE T ER PAUL VAN DIJK 1, JOHN B. IVERSON 2, H. BRA D LEY SHAFFER 3, ROGER BOUR 4, AN D AN D ERS G.J. RHO D IN 5 1Co-Chair, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, Virginia 22202 USA [[email protected]]; 2Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana 47374 USA [[email protected]]; 3Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 USA [[email protected]]; 4Laboratoire des Reptiles et Amphibiens, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France [[email protected]]; 5Chairman Emeritus, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Chelonian Research Foundation, 168 Goodrich St., Lunenburg, Massachusetts 01462 USA [[email protected]] AB S T RAC T . – This is our 6th annual compilation of an annotated checklist of all recognized and named taxa of the world’s modern chelonian fauna, documenting recent changes and controversies in nomenclature, and including all primary synonyms, updated from our previous five checklists (Turtle Taxonomy Working Group 2007b, 2009, 2010, 2011; Rhodin et al. 2008). We continue to provide an updated comprehensive listing of important aspects of taxonomy, names, distribution, and conservation status of all turtles and tortoises of the world. We strive to record the most recent justified taxonomic assignment of terminal taxa in a hierarchical framework, providing annotations, including alternative possible arrangements, for some recently proposed changes. We provide com- mon English names and detailed distributional data for all taxa, listing occurrence by countries and many smaller political or geographic subunits (states or regions), including indications of native, extirpated, and introduced (modern or prehistoric) populations. We also include current published and draft IUCN Red List status determinations for all turtles, as well as CITES listings. The diversity of turtles and tortoises in the world that has existed in modern times (since 1500 AD), and currently generally recognized as distinct and included on this checklist, now consists of 331 species. Of these, 56 are polytypic, representing 121 additional recognized subspecies, or 452 total taxa of modern turtles and tortoises. Of these, 9 species and 2 subspecies, or 11 taxa (2.4%), are extinct. As of the current IUCN 2012 Red List, 134 turtle species (58.8% of 228 species listed, 40.5% of all 331 recognized species) are officially regarded as globally Threatened (Critically Endangered [CR], Endangered [EN], or Vulnerable [VU]). We record additional draft Red List evaluations by the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG) of the 103 previously “unevaluated” species, and updated draft re-evaluations of previously listed species, allowing us to evaluate the overall current threat levels for all turtles and tortoises. Of the 331 total species of turtles and tortoises, 101 (30.5%) are CR or EN, 155 (46.8%) are Threatened (CR, EN, or VU), and 164 (49.6%) are Threatened or Extinct. If we provisionally adjust for predicted threat rates of Data Deficient species, then ca. 53% of all turtles are Threatened. If we include Extinct species, and also adjust for Data Deficient species, then ca. 57% of all modern turtles and tortoises are either already Extinct or Threatened. Turtles are among the most endangered of the major groups of vertebrates, surpassing birds, mammals, cartilaginous or bony fishes, and amphibians. KEY W OR D S . – Reptilia, Testudines, turtle, tortoise, chelonian, taxonomy, nomenclature, genera, species, subspecies, primary synonyms, suprageneric hierarchy, systematics, common names, distribution, introduced species, conservation status, IUCN Red List, CITES, threatened species, extinction The diversity of all turtles and tortoises (chelonians) 121 additional recognized subspecies, or 452 total taxa of in the world that has existed in modern times (since 1500 modern chelonians. Of these, 9 species plus 2 subspecies, AD), and currently generally recognized as distinct by spe- or 11 total taxa, of tortoises and freshwater turtles have cialists in turtle taxonomy and systematics, consists of ap- become extinct since 1500 AD (see Table 1), leaving us proximately 331 species, of which 56 are polytypic, with currently with 322 species and 119 additional subspecies, 000.244 Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises • Chelonian Research Monographs, No. 5 or 441 total taxa of living turtles and tortoises. Of all living by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature turtle taxa, 7 species are marine turtles, leaving 315 species (ICZN 1999). and 434 total taxa of modern living freshwater and terres- However, for the higher-level suprageneric catego- trial turtles and tortoises. ries used in this checklist, we have also provided some The 452 total turtle and tortoise taxa recognized synonyms and previously-used names for the same or on this checklist are based on a listed synonymy of included groupings whose usage may not necessarily 1208 separate named turtle and tortoise species and correspond to nomenclatural guidelines under the ICZN. subspecies, counting both new descriptions and nomina Since the ICZN does not regulate names above the su- nova replacement names, but not nomina nuda or ex perfamily rank, our listings of these names are intended errore typographical error names. In this checklist we to document historical use to aid understanding and re- present a full taxonomic listing of all recognized taxa, solving the difficult questions of what names are most including synonymized names, and provide annotations appropriately used for these suprageneric categories and concerning recently described new taxa, nomenclatural to what author they should be attributed. For example, and taxonomic updates, and significant taxon-related the names we list under the Order-level name for turtles controversies or developments. (Testudines) are not all strict synonyms, as some were New names added to this 2012 checklist are Testudo proposed at different levels of groupings, from “Family” australis Girard 1858 (= Gopherus sp. indeterminate), Testudo to Order to various supra-ordinal categories. Many were panama Perry 1810 (= Trachemys venusta), and Terrapene utilized primarily for including various fossil turtle-like longinsulae Hay 1908c † (= Terrapene ornata). ancestors in an expanded concept of turtles, including As there is always some disagreement among experts some rank-free Phylocode names. The names we list in as to which taxa are distinct and valid, and at what system- other infra-ordinal suprageneric categories are not al- atic level or rank (species or subspecies), these numbers ways strict synonyms either, as based on nomenclatural are variable depending on the authorities presenting their acceptability or availability of the utilized group name, data or interpretations. For prior discussions and listings but instead provide a partial historical record for names of all recognized modern turtle taxa, with extensive an- previously used for the same or similar grouping. Our notations regarding areas of recent taxonomic change, in- formatting in terms of the use of standardized endings stability, or controversy, see the previous publications by and attribution of authorship of names of some groups the Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (TTWG 2007a,b, (e.g., Trionychia, Kinosternoidea) does not always fol- 2009, 2010, 2011), Rhodin et al. (2008), and the turtle low a strict application of the ICZN, being more of a checklist produced for CITES by Fritz and Havas (2007). partial use and deference to the Phylocode for these su- The latter is also an excellent source for full synonymies, prafamilial categories. including nomina nuda, ex errore names, and type locali- A prime purpose of this annual checklist is to record ties. taxonomic changes published in the literature, to evaluate The Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (TTWG) func- the strength of the data supporting those proposed changes, tions under the auspices of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and and to recommend whether the community should adopt Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG), which or reject the proposed changes. The very first checklist operates under the umbrella of the IUCN (International (TTWG 2007b) was compiled on the ‘last published revi- Union for Conservation of Nature) and its Species Sur- sion’ principle, though reflecting some alternative arrange- vival Commission (SSC). Our checklist of modern turtle ments through our use of the ‘Xxxx or Yyyy’ arrangement. taxa was first compiled by the TTWG (2007b), and