Chelidae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chelidae |
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| Chelus fimbriatus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Pleurodira |
| Family: | Chelidae Gray, 1831 |
| Genera | |
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See text. |
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The Chelidae are a special group of freshwater turtles. They are often called side-necked turtles. This family of turtles lives in places like Australia, New Guinea, parts of Indonesia, and most of South America. It's a very big family with many different kinds of turtles. We know from fossils that they have been around since the Cretaceous period, which was a very long time ago!
There are about 60 different types of Chelidae turtles alive today. These are grouped into about twenty different genera. All these turtles originally came from a supercontinent called Gondwana. You won't find any Chelidae turtles, either living or as fossils, outside the areas that were once part of Gondwana.
Contents
What Makes Side-Necked Turtles Special?
Chelidae turtles are called side-necked turtles for a good reason. When they want to pull their heads into their shells, they do it by bending their necks sideways. This is different from most other turtles, which pull their heads straight back into their shells. You can learn more about this by looking up Pleurodira.
How Are These Turtles Related?
Scientists who study how living things are related have found something interesting about Chelidae turtles. Most of the species in South America and all the species in Australia are closely related. This means they all came from the same ancient ancestor. Think of it like a big family tree! There's also a very old turtle genus called Hydromedusa that is like a close cousin to these turtles.
Where Did They Used to Live?
Today, all Chelidae turtles live in fresh water, like rivers and lakes. But when scientists look at their fossils, they find something surprising. Many of their ancient relatives used to live in the seas all around the world! This shows how much these turtles have changed over millions of years.
Images for kids
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Scute and skeletal elements of the chelid carapace
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Scute and skeletal elements of the chelid plastron
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A mata mata, Chelus fimbriatus
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Phrynops geoffroanus
See also
In Spanish: Quélidos para niños
