Cuora galbinifrons

Indochinese box turtle
Northern Vietnamese box turtle Cuora galbinifrons galbinifrons
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Subfamily:	Geoemydinae
Genus:	Cuora
Species:	C. galbinifrons
Binomial name
Cuora galbinifrons Bourret, 1939
Synonyms
Cuora galbinifrons galbinifrons Cuora galbinifrons Bourret, 1939 Cyclemus flavomarginata hainanensis Li, 1958 Cuora hainanensis Zhao, 1975 Cyclemys flavomarginata hainanensis Wermuth & Mertens, 1977 Cistoclemmys galbinifrons Bour, 1980 Cistoclemmys hainanensis Iverson, 1985 Cuora flavomarginata hainanensis Obst, 1985 Cistoclemmys flavomarginata hainanensis Groombridge, 1988 Cuora galbinifrons galbinifrons Iverson & McCord, 1992 Cuora galbinifrons hainanensis Iverson & McCord, 1992 Cistoclemmys galbinifrons galbinifrons Bour, 2002 Cistoclemmys galbinifrons hainanensis Bour, 2002 Cuora galbinifrons bourreti Cuora galbinifrons bourreti Obst & Reimann, 1994 Cistoclemmys galbinifrons bourreti Bour, 2002 Cuora bourreti Stuart & Parham, 2004 Cistoclemmys bourreti Vetter, 2006 Cuora galbinifrons picturata Cuora galbinifrons picturata Lehr, Fritz & Obst, 1998 Cistoclemmys galbinifrons picturata Bour, 2002 Cuora picturata Stuart & Parham, 2004 Cistoclemmys picturata Vetter, 2006

The Indochinese box turtle, Vietnamese box turtle, or flowerback box turtle (Cuora galbinifrons) is a species of Asian box turtles from China (Hainan and Guangxi), northern and central Vietnam, Laos, and possibly northeastern Cambodia. It is found in high altitude woodland where it tends to hide in the undergrowth. There is considerable confusion as to the taxonomy of this species with several subspecies being recognised by some authorities. and not by others. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "critically endangered".

The northern Vietnamese box turtle C. g. galbinifrons was described by Bourret in 1939, but it took nearly 40 years until the first specimens were imported to Europe and the United States. This subspecies occurs in extreme southern Guangxi Province, China, northern Vietnam, and probably northern Laos and on Hainan Island (China). The population from Hainan was once considered to represent a distinct species or at least subspecies,C. (galbinifrons) hainanensis. Li, 1958, was not aware of the description from Bourret (1939) of C. galbinifrons and thus believed to have a new subspecies of Cuora flavomarginata the only Cuora species known at this time with at least some similarities. According to some, specimens from Hainan do not always have fully black plastrons (always the case in mainland C. g. galbinifrons), but sometimes lighter parts. Furthermore, their carapaces show more red pigmentation and brown spots. Genetic and morphologic studies believe it to be a synonym of C.g. galbinifrons, however.

The central Vietnamese flowerback box turtle (Cuora (galbinifrons) bourreti) occurs in central Vietnam and adjacent Laos, and possibly in northeastern Cambodia. The most notable difference to the nominate race is the distinct plastral pattern, where only smaller black blotches (sometimes none at all) occur.

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Wikipedia