Trionyx Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809

Marques, Mariana P., Ceríaco, Luis M. P., Blackburn, David C. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2018, Diversity and Distribution of the Amphibians and Terrestrial Reptiles of Angola Atlas of Historical and Bibliographic Records (1840 - 2017), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 65, pp. 1-501 : 173-174

Genus Trionyx Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809

Trionyx triunguis ( Forskål, 1775) AFRICAN SOFTSHELL TURTLE

Testudo triunguis Forskål 1775 : ix. Holotype, lost fide Webb in Iverson (1992), (collector P. Forskål). Type locality: “In Nilo” [= the Nile], Egypt.

Gymnopus aegyptiacus : Bocage (1867b:218). Trionyx triunguis : Peters (1877a:611), Bocage (1895a:7), Loveridge and Wiliams (1957:423), Loveridge (1957:172), Saldanha (1966:8), Hughes (1979:203), Iverson (1986:196, 1992:318), Branch (1998:43, 2008 74), Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (2014:420).

Amyda triunguis : Mertens (1926:152).

Amyda triunguis triunguis : Hellmich (1957a:33).

Global conservation status (IUCN): Vulnerable.

Global distribution: This species is widespread in tropical West Africa south of the Sahara as well as through the Nile Valley and around the eastern Mediterranean as far as Turkey. A disjunct population occurs in the Jubba and Scabelle rivers ( Somalia), draining the Ethiopian Highlands.

Ocurrences in Angola (Map 120): This species occurs in western Angola, mainly in near coastal drainages from Cabinda to the

Cunene mouth. Cabinda: “Chinchoxo”

[-5.10000, 12.10000] ( Peters 1877a:611;

Bocage 1895a:7; Loveridge and Wiliams

1957:435). Bengo: “Cunga” [-9.23333,

13.76667] (Loveridge and Wiliams 1957:435).

Luanda: “Loanda”[-8.83333, 13.26667]

(Loveridge and Wiliams 1957:435). Kwanza

Norte: “ Cuanza, Mucoso” [-9.53333,

14.65000] ( Hellmich 1957a:33; Loveridge and

Wiliams 1957:435). Benguela: “ Lobito bay ”

[-12.35000, 13.55000] (Loveridge and Wiliams 1957:435); “Catumbella” [-12.43333,

13.55000] ( Bocage 1867b:218, 1895a:7;

Mertens 1926:152); Loveridge and Wiliams

1957:435); “Benguella” [-12.58333, 13.41667] MAP 120. Distribution of Trionyx triunguis in Angola .

( Bocage 1895a:7; Loveridge and Wiliams 1957:435). Namibe: “ Cunene mouth” [-17.28333, 11.80000] ( Hughes 1979:203 [Fig. 67]) .

Taxonomic and distributional notes: Loveridge and Wiliams (1957) provided a detailed review of the species.