Southern Vietnamese box turtle

Species of turtle

Southern Vietnamese box turtle

Southern Vietnamese box turtle Cuora (galbinifrons) picturata
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)^[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Genus:	Cuora
Species:	C. picturata
Binomial name
*Cuora picturata* Lehr, Fritz & Obst, 1998
Synonyms
Cistoclemmys picturata Cuora galbinifrons picturata

The southern Vietnamese box turtle (Cuora picturata) is endemic to the southern mountainous regions of Vietnam, and possibly also occurring in extreme eastern Cambodia and southern Laos. It is known only from Khanh Hoa and southern Phu Yen provinces, but may also occur in eastern Dak Lak and northern Ninh Thuan provinces.

This species was initially described as a subspecies of Cuora galbinifrons, but was shown to be genetically distinct.^[3] This is the same for Cuora galbinifrons bourreti, which is much closely related to Cuora galbinifrons, though, in osteology, genetics and morphology than is Cuora picturata to either one. Thus, this variety probably truly deserves species status.

This species has the highest-domed carapace of all Cuora species, the shape resembling a conquistador helmet. While the head coloration of Cuora galbinifrons subspecies is highly variable even in different populations, this is not the case with C. picturata, whose head is always yellow with a fine, greyish reticulation. They are commonly found in tropical, moist, and broadleaf evergreen forests.^[4]

References

^ McCormack, T.; Stuart, B.L.; Blanck, T. (2020). "Cuora picturata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T163463A123815952. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T163463A123815952.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
^ Stuart, B. L. & Parham, J. F. (2004). "Molecular phylogeny of the critically endangered Indochinese box turtle (Cuora galbinifrons)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 31: 164-177.
^ blueion (2023-04-23). "Species Spotlight! The Southern Vietnam Box Turtle!". Turtle Survival Alliance. Retrieved 2023-10-03.

Lehr, E.; Fritz, U. & Obst, F. J. (1998)." Die Unterarten von Cuora galbinifrons Bourret, 1939". Zoologische Abhandlungen aus dem staatlichen Museum für Tierkunde in Dresden. 50: 77–97.

Family Geoemydidae

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Geoemydidae

Genera

Species of the family Geoemydidae

†Banhxeochelys

†Banhxeochelys trani

Batagur

Cuora

Cyclemys

†Echmatemys

†Echmatemys septaria
†Echmatemys stevensoniana
†Echmatemys wyomingensis

Geoclemys

Black pond turtle

Geoemyda

Hardella

Brahminy river turtle

Heosemys

Leucocephalon

Sulawesi forest turtle

Malayemys

Mauremys

Melanochelys

Morenia

Notochelys

Malayan flat-shelled turtle

Orlitia

Malaysian giant turtle

Pangshura

Rhinoclemmys

Sacalia

Siebenrockiella

Vijayachelys

Cane turtle

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=Extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Suborder

Superfamily

Family

Genus

Cryptodira

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers
Cuora picturata	Wikidata: Q2157282 Wikispecies: Cuora picturata CoL: 6C3P2 GBIF: 8072617 iNaturalist: 98798 ITIS: 949150 IUCN: 163463 NCBI: 241440 RD: picturata Species+: 65767
Cuora galbinifrons picturata	Wikidata: Q26935661 GBIF: 6157088