SIDE-NECKED TURTLE

any species of turtle belonging to the family Pelomedusidae. The name is derived from the method of protecting the head and neck by bending them to the side, rather than withdrawing them backward into the shell as do most other turtles. Sideways bending of the neck is also found in the snake-necked turtles (Chelyidae). Pelomedusid turtles are aquatic reptiles found only in the Southern Hemispheremainly in Africa, Madagascar, South America, and several islands in the Indian Ocean. There are three genera and about 10 to 15 species. The genus Pelomedusa includes a single species, P. subrufa, a gray turtle up to 30 cm (12 inches) long, which is found on Madagascar and in sub-Saharan Africa. The genus Pelusios, also of Africa and Madagascar, includes several lake- and river-dwelling turtles characterized by a hinged section on the front of the lower shell. This section enables the turtles to close the shell tightly, in much the same way as the northern box turtles. The remaining genus, Podocnemis, includes about seven species of large South American river turtles and one freshwater species of Madagascar. The largest member of the genus, the arrau (P. expansa), lives in South America and grows to a shell length of about 80 cm (30 inches). Its eggs have long been a source of human food.