Eastern black-bridged leaf turtle

The eastern black-bridged leaf turtle (Cyclemys pulchristiata) is a species of Asian leaf turtles found in southern Indochina.^[1][4][5]

Eastern black-bridged leaf turtle
Cyclemys pulchristriata; Turtle Conservation Center, Cuc-Phuong, Vietnam
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Genus:	Cyclemys
Species:	C. pulchristiata
Binomial name
Cyclemys pulchristiata Fritz, Gaulke & Lehr, 1997, 1997
Cyclemys pulchristiata range map
Synonyms[3]
Cyclemys pulchristriata Fritz, Gaulke & Lehr, 1997 Cyclemys pulchistriata – Hallermann, Dirksen & Uetz, 1999 (ex errore) Cyclemys pulchristata – Das, 2005 (ex errore) Cyclemys atripons pulchristriata – Vetter, 2006

Description

In this species, the carapace is reddish brown, ovoid to elongated, with wide, radiating, black lines or large, black specks. The plastron is mostly yellow and may have short, fat lines, specks, or be uniformly colored. The head is speckled, with a yellow throat. The neck is striped. Hatchlings have wide head and neck stripes and yellow plastrons. The bridge is predominantly yellow with black stripes or entirely black. It is mostly morphologically indistinguishable from the western black-bridged leaf turtle, C. atripons, requiring genetic sampling to confidently identify.^[6][7] Some authorities consider this species to be a junior synonym to or a subspecies of C. atripons.^[3][6]

Distribution

It is found in eastern Cambodia and in southern and central Vietnam.^[1][6][7]