The bigheaded Pantanal swamp turtle, Acanthochelys macrocephala (Family Chelidae), is a medium-sized aquatic turtle (carapace length to 295 mm), endemic to the Pantanal and Chaco ecoregions of Brazil, Bolivia, and northern Paraguay. It has a limited distribution in the upper Río Paraguai drainage and is apparently restricted to the swampy lowlands of the Pantanal and the arid plains of the northern Chaco. The species inhabits marshes, wetland areas, shallow bays and brackish lagoons (salinas), as well as opportunistically utilizing ephemeral waterbodies, including roadside drainage ditches and farm irrigation reservoirs and artificial ponds in pasturelands (tajamares). Population levels appear relatively robust at present and the species is not uncommon, but ongoing patterns of habitat loss in the Chaco, combined with climate change leading to increased aridity and threat to ephemeral water resources potentially threaten the species, and it is currently categorized as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. distribution.-Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay. Distributed in the upper Río Paraguai drainage, in the Pantanal ecoregion encompassing parts of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil, eastern Bolivia, and northern Paraguay, and in the Chaco ecoregion of southern Bolivia and northern and central Paraguay. synonyMy.-Platemys macrocephala Rhodin, Mittermeier, and McMorris 1984, Acanthochelys macrocephala, Phrynops chacoensis Fritz and Pauler 1992, Acanthochelys chacoensis, Mesoclemmys chacoensis. subspecies.-None currently recognized. stAtus.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.