Jump to content

Intermediate musk turtle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Intermediate musk turtle
This turtle was crawling along a riverbed.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Kinosternidae
Genus: Sternotherus
Species:
S. intermedius
Binomial name
Sternotherus intermedius
Scott, Glenn & Rissler, 2017[1]

Sternotherus intermedius is a species of small turtle native to Alabama, United States. It is also known as the aliflora musk turtle or intermediate musk turtle due to its intermediate patterns on the shell.[2] For a long time, it was thought to be a hybrid between the two subspecies of the loggerhead musk turtle (the loggerhead and striped-neck musk turtle), but in 2017, it was declared a new species based on DNA research. It is endemic to the Choctawhatchee River and Conecuh River basins.[3][4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Scott, Peter A.; Glenn, Travis C.; Rissler, Leslie J. (2018) [2017]. "Resolving taxonomic turbulence and uncovering cryptic diversity in the musk turtles (Sternotherus) using robust demographic modeling". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 120: 1–15. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2017.11.008. PMID 29158032.
  2. ^ "New Species Of Turtle Is Discovered In Alabama". NPR. 26 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Resolving Taxonomic Turbulence and Uncovering Cryptic Diversity in the Musk Turtles (Sternotherus) Using Robust Demographic Modeling; Sternotherus intermedius". Novataxa. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  4. ^ Byington, Pat (16 December 2017). "Meet the intermediate musk turtle, Alabama's newest turtle species". Bham Now. Retrieved 27 December 2017.