Chaco side-necked turtle | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Testudines |
Suborder: | Pleurodira |
Family: | Chelidae |
Subfamily: | Chelinae |
Genus: | Acanthochelys |
Species: | A. pallidipectoris |
Binomial name | |
Acanthochelys pallidipectoris (Freiberg, 1945) |
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Synonyms | |
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The Chaco side-necked turtle or Chaco sideneck turtle (Acanthochelys pallidipectoris) is a species of turtle in the Chelidae family. It is found in Argentina, Paraguay, and possibly Bolivia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. The turtle possesses long horny spurs on its upper thighs. It is 18 cm in shell length. Like other members of its genus, the turtle bruies itself in the mud when the streams run dry, a behaviour possibly parallel to the winter hibernating behaviours of turtles further north.