Description of a New Softshell Turtle from the Southeastern United StatesWebb, Robert G. (Robert Gravem)
Science
Description of a New Softshell Turtle from the Southeastern United States
Webb, Robert G. (Robert Gravem)
Turtles
Adult males (3 specimens). No striping on dorsal surface of
snout; pale postocular stripe with thick, black borders
immediately behind eye; width of black borders equal to
approximately one-half width of pale postocular stripe;
dorsal surface of soft parts of body with indistinct
markings that are larger on hind limbs; plastron and ventral
surface of soft parts of body without markings; small dark
spots posteriorly along ventral edge of carapace; pale
margin of carapace lacking markings or having few small
black spots; carapace circular with or without pattern of
large spots. Maximal measurements of smallest and largest
specimens, respectively, are: length of plastron, 108 and
118 mm; length of carapace, 160 and 177 mm; width of
carapace, 142 and 152 mm; width of head, 21 mm.
Hatchlings (14 specimens). These paratypes resemble the
holotype in all features mentioned; markings on neck tend to
form longitudinal streaks in TU 17303 and 17304. There are
no secondary sexual differences in hatchling turtles.
There is some variation in hatchling turtles. Four from the
Escambia River have dorsal spots 3 mm or larger in greatest
diameter and on three specimens the dorsal spots number 27,
37 and 37 (total number not discernable in TU 16682); none
of the dorsal spots is ocellate. Maximal measurements of
these three hatchlings, respectively, are: length of
plastron, 35, 36 and 37 mm; length of carapace, 50, 50 and
52 mm; width of carapace, 44, 45 and 47 mm; depth of shell,
11 mm; width of head, 9 mm. Nine hatchlings from the Pearl
River at Varnado have more (all small) dorsal spots, which
may be ocellate. The dorsal spots and ocelli do not exceed 2
mm in their greatest diameter except that some of those of
TU 17304 are 3 mm; the spots range in number from 38 (TU
17303) to 63 (TU 17304). Maximal measurements of the
smallest and largest specimens, holotype excepted, are:
length of plastron, 30 and 33 mm; length of carapace, 42
and 46 mm; width of carapace, 37 and 43 mm; depth of shell,
9 and 10 mm; width of head, 9 and 10 mm. The holotype
resembles hatchlings from the Escambia River in having
large, non-ocellate dorsal spots 3 mm in greatest diameter,
and larger measurements.
One other specimen (not designated as a paratype),
consisting of a head with a few attached cervical vertebrae,
was obtained on a sand bank of the Escambia River, Florida.
The postocular stripe, bright yellow with black borders, was
especially vivid in this adult male (KU 47116).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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