Chelonoidis

Chelonoidis
Brazilian giant tortoise
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Subclass:	Anapsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Chelonoidis Fitzgerald, 1835[1][2]

Chelonoidis is a genus of turtles in the tortoise family.^[1][2] They are found in South America and the Galápagos Islands. They were formerly assigned to Geochelone, but a recent comparative genetic analysis has indicated that they are actually most closely related to African hingeback tortoises.^[3] Their ancestors apparently floated across the Atlantic in the Oligocene.^[3] This crossing was made possible by their ability to float with their heads up and to survive up to six months without food or water.^[3]

The members of this genus on the Galápagos Islands are among the largest extant terrestrial chelonians. Giant members of the genus were also present in mainland South America during the Pleistocene.^[4]

Species

Listed alphabetically.^[1][2]

• C. carbonaria – red-footed tortoise
• C. chilensis – Chaco tortoise
• C. denticulata – yellow-footed tortoise
• C. nigra species complex
  • †C. abingdonii – Pinta Island tortoise (extinct)
  • C. becki – Volcán Wolf Galápagos tortoise
  • C. chathamensis – San Cristobal Island Galápagos tortoise
  • C. darwini – Santiago Island Galápagos tortoise
  • C. donfaustoi – Eastern Santa Cruz tortoise^[5][6]
  • C. duncanensis – Pinzon Island Galápagos tortoise
  • C. guentheri – Sierra Negra Galápagos tortoise
  • C. hoodensis – Española Island Galápagos tortoise
  • C. microphyes – Volcán Darwin Galápagos tortoise
  • †C. nigra – Floreana Island Galápagos tortoise (extinct)
  • †C. phantastica – Fernandina Island Galápagos tortoise (doubtful existence)^[7]
  • C. porteri – Santa Cruz Island Galápagos tortoise
  • C. vandenburghi – Volcán Alcedo Galápagos tortoise
  • C. vicina – Isabela Island Galápagos tortoise
  • †C. wallacei – Rábida Island Galápagos tortoise (doubtful existence)^[7][8][9]
  • †Chelonoidis sp. 1 – Santa Fe Island Galápagos tortoise^[9] (doubtful existence)^[7]
  • †Chelonoidis sp. 2 – El Fatal Island Galápagos tortoise^[9] (extinct)
  • †Chelonoidis sp. 3 – Cerro Montura Galápagos tortoise^[9] (extinct)

References

Tortoise family of turtles (Testudinidae)
Genus	Species of the tortoise family
Aldabrachelys	Aldabra giant tortoise
Astrochelys	Angonoka tortoise Radiated tortoise
Chelonoidis	Yellow-footed tortoise Chaco tortoise Galápagos tortoise Red-footed tortoise
Chersina	Angulate tortoise
Centrochelys	African spurred tortoise
Cylindraspis†	Domed Mauritius giant tortoise† Domed Rodrigues giant tortoise† Réunion giant tortoise† Saddle-backed Mauritius giant tortoise† Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise†
Geochelone	Burmese star tortoise Indian star tortoise
Gopherus	Bolson tortoise Desert tortoise Gopher tortoise Sonoran Desert tortoise Texas tortoise
Homopus	Common padloper Nama padloper Karoo padloper Greater padloper Speckled padloper
Indotestudo	Elongated tortoise Forsten's tortoise Travancore tortoise
Kinixys	Bell's hinge-back tortoise Forest hinge-back tortoise Home's hinge-back tortoise Lobatse hinge-back tortoise Natal hinge-back tortoise Speke's hinge-back tortoise
Malacochersus	Pancake tortoise
Manouria	Asian forest tortoise Impressed tortoise
Psammobates	Geometric tortoise Serrated tortoise Tent tortoise
Pyxis	Flat-backed spider tortoise Spider tortoise
Stigmochelys	Leopard tortoise
Testudo	Hermann's tortoise Kleinmann's tortoise Marginated tortoise Russian tortoise Spur-thighed tortoise
Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2012 update: annotated checklist. Key: †=extinct.