EMYDIDAE

family of hard-shelled turtles native to both the Old and New Worlds, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. The emydid turtles comprise more than 25 genera and 85 living speciesroughly one-half of all the genera and one-third of all the species of turtles now living. With the exception of a few terrestrial forms, such as the box turtles (Terrapene) of North and Central America, emydid turtles are aquatic reptiles with streamlined shells. Some, such as the diamondback terrapin, are valued as food; others are kept as pets. The majority of emydid turtles are native to Asia and North and Central America. The most widely known members of the family include Blanding's turtle, box turtle, chicken turtle, painted turtle, pond turtle, spotted turtle, terrapin, and wood turtle. The family Emydidae has been placed by some authorities as the subfamily Emydinae of the family Testudinidae (usually restricted to the land tortoises).