Phrynops geoffroanus

Phrynops geoffroanus, also commonly known as Geoffroy's side-necked turtle and Geoffroy's toadhead turtle, is a species of large side-necked turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to South America.

Phrynops geoffroanus
In Brazil
Plastron, Brazil
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Pleurodira
Family:	Chelidae
Genus:	Phrynops
Species:	P. geoffroanus
Binomial name
Phrynops geoffroanus (Schweigger, 1812)[1]
Synonyms[2][3]
Species Synonymy Emys geoffroana Schweigger, 1812 Emys depressa Merrem, 1820 Emys viridis Spix, 1824 Chelodina geoffroana — Fitzinger, 1826 Phrynops geoffroanus — Wagler, 1830 Chelys (Hydraspis) depressa — Gray, 1831 Chelys (Hydraspis) viridis — Gray, 1831 Emys geoffroyana Gray, 1831 (ex errore) Hydraspis depressa — Gray, 1831 Hydraspis viridis — Gray, 1831 Platemys geoffroana — Wagler, 1833 Platemys geoffreana A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1835 (ex errore) Platemys neuwiedii A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Platemys waglerii A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Hydraspis (Phrynops) geoffroana — Fitzinger, 1835 Phrynops geoffroana — Fitzinger, 1835 Emys geoffroiana Temminck & Schlegel, 1835 (ex errore) Hydraspis wagleri — Gray, 1844 (ex errore) Phrynops geoffroyana — Gray, 1844 Hydraspis geoffroyana — Gray, 1856 Platemys depressa — Strauch, 1862 Platemys geoffreyana Hensel, 1868 (ex errore) Platemys geoffroyana — Hensel, 1868 Platemys wagleri — Boulenger, 1889 Rhinemys geoffroana — Baur, 1890 Hydraspis boulengeri Bohls, 1895 Phrynops wagleri — Stejneger, 1909 Hydraspis lutzi Ihering, 1926 Phrynops geoffroana geoffroana — L. Müller, 1939 Phrynops geoffrayana — E. Williams, 1950 Phrynops geoffroanus geoffroanus — Wermuth & Mertens, 1961 Phrynops boulengeri — Pritchard, 1979 Phrynops lutzi — Pritchard, 1979 Phrynops (Phrynops) geoffroannus Seddon, Georges, Baverstock & McCord, 1997 (ex errore) Phrynops geoffranus Ippi & Flores, 2001 (ex errore)

Etymology

The specific name, geoffroanus, is in honor of French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire.^[4]

Geographic range

P. geoffroanus is found in southwestern Venezuela, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru, southward and eastward through southwestern Brazil and northern Bolivia to Paraguay and northeastern Argentina, then northward through eastern Brazil.^[5] It also occurs in eastern Venezuela,^[5] and in adjacent Guyana.^{[citation needed]}

Habitat

The prferred natural habitat of P. geoffroanus is freshwater rivers.^[5]