Radiata2008(3)e

Herbert Meier & Ingo

Herbert Meier & Ingo Schaefer Richter U. (1999): Fransenschildkröten: F2- Nachzucht. – DATZ, Stuttgart, 52 (10): 6. Rogner, M. (1996): Schildkröten 2. – Hürtgenwald (Heidi-Rogner-Verlag), 265 pp. Rosscoe, R. & W. Holmstrom (1996): Successful Incubation of Eggs from Matamatas (Chelus fimbriatus). – Adv. Herpetoculture, Int. Herpetol. Sympos.: 47-50. Sanchez-Villagra, M. R., P.C.H. Pritchard, A. Paolillo & O. J. Linares (1995): Geographic variation in the matamata-turtle, Chelus fimbriatus, with observationson on its shell morphology and morphometry. – Chel. Cons. Biol., Lunenburg, 1 (4): 293-300. Schaefer, I. (1986): Haltung und Nachzucht der Fransenschildkröte Chelus fimbriatus (Schneider 1783) (Testudines: Chelidae). – Salamandra, Bonn, 22 (4): 229-241. Schmidt, A. A. (1966): Morphologische Unterschiede bei Chelus fimbriatus verschiedener Herkunft. – Salamandra, Frankfurt/M., 2 (3): 74-78. Trutnau, L. (1987): Ein Beitrag zur Lebensgeschichte der Fransenschildkröte Chelus fimbriatus (Schneider, 1783) – herpetofauna, Weinstadt, 9 (49): 6-10. Vetter, H. (2005): Turtles of the World Vol. 3. Central and South America. – Frankfurt am Main/Rodgau (Edition Chimaira/Verlag ASC), 128 pp. All photographs: Herbert Meier. Authors Herbert Meier Fliederweg 8 90617 Puschendorf Germany E-Mail: h.meier@online.de Ingo Schaefer Scharlbarg 35 21149 Hamburg Germany E-Mail: i.i.schaefer@web.de SALAMANDRA – the broadly based herpetological journal of the German Society for Herpetology and Herpetoculture. It publishes the results of original research in all fields of herpetology, including systematics, faunistics, ethology, ecology, physiology, conservation biology and captive breeding. SALAMANDRA is referenced in BioSciences Information Service (BIOSIS) of Biological Abstracts and Zoological Records as well as “Herpetological Contents” and other review organs. www.salamandra-journal.com 38 RADIATA 17 (3), 2008

South American Swamp Turtles of the Genus Acanthochelys Oliver Römpp Experiences with the Husbandry and Propagation of South American Swamp Turtles of the Genus Acanthochelys Description, distribution and Natural habitats At present, four species of Acanthochelys are recognized, all of which are distributed in central and southern South America. One of the smallest of the four species is the Chaco swamp turtle, Acanthochelys pallidipectoris (Freiberg, 1945). It grows to a mere 17.5 cm (Ernst et al. 2008) in carapace length and is native to the Chaco region of northern Argentina and Paraguay (Buskirk 1988). There, it inhabits stagnant and slowflowing waters and swampy areas (Ernst et al. 2008). The colouration of its carapace varies from yellowish brown through reddish brown to dark brown; black stripes may partly outline the marginal scutes. The plastron is cream in colour with wide black stripes that follow the sutures between the scutes. The plastron may Fig. 1. Female of Acanthochelys macrocephala. turn entirely black in animals of advanced age. The neck and limbs are reddish brown above, while the lower side of the neck is cream in colour. Some specimens show very intense colours on their soft parts and could almost be called reddish. The scientific name of this species makes reference to the partly extremely enlarged, thorn-like scutes that border the inner sides of the thighs. These protrusions are usually more distinctly expressed in males than in females. Another small species is the black spinenecked swamp turtle, Acanthochelys spixii (Duméril & Bibron, 1835), which likewise grows to a maximum of just 17 cm in carapace length (Ernst et al. 2008). It is home to the upper Rio São Francisco and other coastal rivers of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is furthermore found in Uruguay and south to the Río Paraná in Argentina. This turtle prefers stagnant waters, swamps, and slow-flowing streams and rivers. Acanthochelys spixii is distinct for its prominent spines on the upper side of the neck. Its carapace is uniform dark brown to black, and the plastron is entirely black in colour. The limbs and neck region are dark grey to black. RADIATA 17 (3), 2008 39