Review of the Pelomedusid Turtle Specimens in the Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Yale Peabody Museum: Species Identifications and Distribution Records
1South Glastonbury, CT 06073 USA ([email protected]) corresponding author, 2Tampa Bay, FL 34221USA 3Lakeland, FL 33810 USA 4Hopewell Junction, NY 12533 USA 5Kissimmee, FL 34744 USA
Joseph-Ouni, M., Vander Schouw P., Frewer, J., Mccord, W.P. & Uhrig, D. 2025. Review of the Pelomedusid Turtle Specimens in the Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Yale Peabody Museum: Species Identifications and Distribution Records. Chelonological Contributions 1: 19 pp. http://doi.org/10.70661/rlwq0391720434
15 January 2025
Abstract
The Pleurodiran turtle family Pelomedusidae includes only two extant but speciose genera, Pelusios and Pelomedusa, both of which also succeed fossil record taxa with moderate representation. The Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Yale Peabody Museum, located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America, currently houses 68 specimens of recent pelomedusid turtle. Here we review and describe the specimens comprising this collection and correct several species identifications under the light of modern taxonomy, with each illustrated where possible. Based on morphology and specific collection locality data we can confirm the distribution records of some species through these vouchered specimens where their presence was previously only assumed.