Myuchelys facts for kids
The Myuchelys are a group of turtles, often called the Australian saw-shelled turtles. These turtles belong to the family called Chelidae. They live in the clear, fresh waters of rivers and streams in eastern and northern Australia. The name Myuchelys comes from two words: myuna, an Aboriginal word meaning "clear water," and chelys, a Greek word for "turtle."
These turtles have a short neck. A special plate on their shell, called the intergular scute, completely separates two other plates called the gular scutes. Unlike some other snapping turtles, they don't have a bony ridge in their mouth called an alveolar ridge.
Quick facts for kids Myuchelys |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Pleurodira |
| Family: | Chelidae |
| Subfamily: | Chelodininae |
| Genus: | Myuchelys Thomson and Georges, 2009 |
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Contents
Meet the Myuchelys Species
The Myuchelys group includes several small kinds of freshwater turtles. They are all found only in eastern and northern Australia.
- Myuchelys bellii, also known as the Namoi River snapping turtle.
- Myuchelys georgesi, also known as the Bellinger River snapping turtle.
- Myuchelys latisternum, known as the saw-shelled turtle.
- Myuchelys purvisi
How Scientists Named These Turtles
The way scientists name and group animals, called taxonomy, can be quite complicated! The Myuchelys turtles have had a long journey through different scientific names.
Early Names and Changes
The saw-shelled turtle (M. latisternum) was first placed in a group called Elseya in 1867. But later, in 1889, scientists changed the definition of Elseya. Because M. latisternum didn't fit the new definition, it was moved to another group called Emydura.
Then, in 1967, it was moved back to Elseya. It stayed there for a while.
Rediscovering Lost Turtles
For many years, the Myuchelys bellii turtle was almost forgotten by science. When it was first described in 1844, it was mistakenly thought to be a South American species! It was placed in a group called Phrynops. This mistake was finally corrected in 1998.
The Myuchelys georgesi and Myuchelys purvisi turtles were also first placed in the Elseya group. However, scientists later used a special test called electrophoresis (which looks at proteins in the body) to show that these two species, along with M. latisternum and M. bellii, were actually very closely related and formed their own unique group.
Finding the Right Name
Scientists tried a few different names for this special group of turtles over the years.
- One early idea was the name Euchelymys in 1871. But this name was later decided to be invalid.
- Another idea was to use the name Pelocomastes, which was for a fossil turtle. However, scientists found that this fossil was not closely related to the Myuchelys group.
Finally, in 2009, scientists Thomson and Georges officially named this group Myuchelys. This name is now widely accepted by major conservation groups like the IUCN and by many scientists around the world. Many research papers now use the name Myuchelys, making it the established and correct name for these turtles.
Recent Discoveries
In 2013, some scientists suggested that one species, Myuchelys purvisi, might be different enough to be in its own new group called Flaviemys. However, in 2017, after more research, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) decided that Flaviemys should be considered part of the Myuchelys group. So, Myuchelys remains the accepted name for all these Australian saw-shelled turtles.
