Zulia toad-headed sideneck

The Zulia toad-headed sideneck (Mesoclemmys zuliae), also known commonly as the Zulia toad-headed turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to Venezuela.^[5]

Zulia toad-headed sideneck
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Pleurodira
Family:	Chelidae
Genus:	Mesoclemmys
Species:	M. zuliae
Binomial name
Mesoclemmys zuliae (Pritchard & Trebbau, 1984)[2]
Synonyms[3][4]
Phrynops (Batrachemys) zuliae Pritchard & Trebbau, 1984 Batrachemys zuliae — Groombridge, 1988 Mesoclemmys zuliae — Bour & Zaher, 2005

Etymology

The specific name, zuliae, refers to the Venezuelan state of Zulia.^[6]

Geographic range

The type locality of M. zuliae is Cano Madre Vieja near El Guayabo, Distrito Colón, Zulia, Venezuela.^[7]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of M. zuliae is freshwater inland bodies of water.^[1][5]