Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent,
Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis, José Luis Cartes, Rebecca Zarza and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.
INFRAORDER CHELONIOIDEA
SUPERFAMILY TESTUDINOIDEA
FAMILY TESTUDINIDAE - TORTOISES
The family Testudinidae is the sole representative of the Superfamily Testudinoidea in Paraguay. There are two Paraguayan species in this family both classified in the same genus Chelonoidis. Tortoises are terrestrial Testudines found in dry, arid habitats where they are herbivorous.
Testudinids have a non-cruciform plastron united to the carapace by a suture to a broad bony bridge. There are 23 to 25 marginal scutes and no inframarginals. There are 9 bones in the plastron and an entoplastron is present. The temporal region is widely emarginate and the postorbital small. The legs are robust and there are no more than two phalanges per digit. There are several distinct sutures on the top of the head.
REFERENCES
Fouquette MJ (unpublished) - Synopsis of Recent Reptiles to Genus - Arizona University
Whitfield P Ed.1984 - Longman Illustrated Animal Encyclopedia - Guild Publishing, London.
