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Geographic distribution - Testudines: Kachuga tecta (Indian Roofed Turtle), Kachuga smithii smithii (Brown Roofed Turtle), Kachuga tentoria flaviventer (Yellowbelly Indian Tent Turtle). Herpetological Review 29(2): 109.

January 1998
Herpetological Review 29(2):109

Authors:

David R. Edds

Emporia State University

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Herpetofauna of Uttar Pradesh, India

April 2017

Herpetofauna (Amphibians and Reptiles) also play a crucial role in ecosystem function. They are important predators of many insects and agricultural pests and are therefore, valuable for natural biological pest control. Herpetofauna are poikilothermic (cold blooded) vertebrates with smooth skin. The study was carried out during March 2011 through March 2013, with an aim to determine the ... [Show full abstract] diversity, distribution and natural history information in Uttar Pradesh. Present study revealed the presence of an authentic, annotated and illustrated checklist of herpetofauna occurring within the political boundaries of Uttar Pradesh. A total 93 species of herpetofauna including 70 species of Reptiles of 3 orders (Squamata, Testudines, Crocodilia), 3 Suborders (Ophidia, Cryptodira, Sauria/ Lacertilia), 15 Familiesand 23 species of Amphibians including 1 order (Anura), 5 families. Among the reptiles 38 are snakes (18 venemous, 20 non-venemous), Crocodile and Gharials, 18 turtles and 12 lizards. Such work should make special efforts to identify distinctive and representative herpetological taxa of protected areas or unique habitats to enhance and highlight their conservation value. A large number of species still being described, highlight the need for a more concerted scientific study in Uttar Pradesh as well as a need for greater protection of the habitat that remains.

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Chapter

Systematics and Diversity of Extant Reptiles

August 2023

This chapter evaluates the systematics and diversity of extant reptiles. Extant reptiles, encompassing Testudines (turtles), Rhynchocephalia (tuatara), Squamata (lizards and snakes), Crocodylia (alligators, crocodiles, and gharials), and Aves (birds), include more than 20,000 extant species and countless fossil forms. About half of these species are birds, and the other half are reptiles in the ... [Show full abstract] herpetological sense. The chapter describes the systematics, characteristics, distribution, and conservation status of all families of reptiles, as well as subfamilies of some diverse groups. The amniotic egg that distinguishes reptiles from amphibians opened new ecological niches that led to the evolution of different and distinctive morphologies. No longer dependent on the presence of water in order to reproduce, reptiles inhabit virtually all of Earth’s tropical, temperate, and alpine habitats. The chapter also looks at the major characteristics of reptile skin and sensory systems.

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New biostratigraphic interpretation of the Middle Miocene (Badenian) transgression in the southern m...

August 2021 · Geologica Carpathica

This paper focuses mainly on the representatives of calcareous nannofossils and invertebrates from the Hrvaćani section of the Middle Miocene (Badenian) (Prnjavor Basin, southern margin of Pannonian Basin), and it defines the time of Badenian transgression in this area. Rich resources of fossil mollusk species, isolated parts of coral colonies, and other invertebrate remains were found in the ... [Show full abstract] investigated section. Moreover, turtle remains from marine sediments at the southern margin of Central Paratethys were recorded for the first time. Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy has established an NN5 Zone by the presence of Sphenolithus heteromorphus and the absence of Helicosphaera ampliaperta. The foraminifera associations from the analyzed sandstones belong to the Lower Badenian, namely the older zones of Ammonia viennensis and Elphidium crispum (the equivalent of Lagenidae Zone of Vienna Basin). The specimen of a turtle is currently attributed to order Testudines (suborder Pleurodira). From a stratigraphic and paleoecological point of view, all the fossil assemblages showed similar patterns for the subject of study, reflecting favorable conditions for developing a subtropical fauna in the open shallow marine environment. Consequently, by combining nannofossils, foraminifers, corals, malacological, and herpetological data, we can conclude that the early Middle Miocene (Badenian) in Hrvaćani (Bosnia) corresponds to the Lagenidae Zone (NN5 Zone) and was characterized by a relatively warm climate.

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Morphology and intraspecific variation in the skull and mandible of the slider turtle Trachemys dorb...

September 2020 · Zoomorphology

Testudines generally presents a considerable wealth of osteological elements of the skull that makes crucial the detailed knowledge of these bone structures, mainly in solving problems of classification and determination of species. Emydidae is an important group of chelonians, but the cranial anatomy knowledge is limited, mainly of the species of the genus Trachemys. The aim of the present study ... [Show full abstract] is to describe the osteology (in particular, the intraspecific variations) of the skull and mandible of T. dorbigni. 82 specimens of T. dorbigni from the Herpetological Collection of the Laboratory of Vertebrate Zoology/Institute of Biology/Universidade Federal de Pelotas were used in this study. The results indicated a set of characteristics not previously described for the specie’s skull, as well as several characteristics intraspecifically variable. Intraspecific variation was found in the pattern of jugal, frontal, prefrontal, vomer, quadratojugal and exoccipital bones, further the cases of absence and diversification in the position of the foramina praepalatinum and foramen nervi hypoglossi, and an observation of foramens that were not described in literature. Therefore, it is possible to state that there is considerable intraspecific variation in the Trachemys dorbigni’s skull, although it maintains general characteristics similar to other Emydidae’s species.

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