Hosta

The red-necked pond turtle (Mauremys nigricans)^[2] is a species of turtles in the family Geoemydidae^[2] endemic to China.^[2] It is most likely restricted to Guangxi and Guangdong provinces, although pre-historic skull remains have been found in northern Vietnam and Hainan.^[4] Other common names include Kwangtung river turtle and black-necked pond turtle.^[5]

Anatomy and morphology

A megacephalic form of the red-necked pond turtle exists, commonly called 'dumb-head'. This form is rarer than the smaller headed individuals.^[4] This species has strong sexual dimorphism with a significant size difference between males and females. The largest recorded male's carapace measured 185mm (7.2 in) in length whereas females with a size up to 298 mm (11.7 in) have been found.^[6]

References

• Asian Turtle Trade Working Group 2000. Chinemys nigricans. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 29 July 2007.

Bibliography

• Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the World 2010 Update: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution and Conservation Status" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-12-15.