Morphological Variation in Pseudemys 



121 



X 



\ 



if) 



150. 

 140_ 

 130_ 

 120_ 



110. 

 100_ 

 090 _ 

 080 

 070 

 .060 _ 



050. 



C 



c 



F 



070 



T~" 



090 



GS/HW 



Fig. 10. Graph of post-symphyseal stripe width/head width (GS/HW) versus 

 supratemporal stripe width/head width (SS/HW). Open rectangles (females) 

 and shaded rectangles (males) are formed by lines two standard errors above 

 and two standard errors below means. C = P. concinna, F = P.floridana, R = P. 

 rubrivenths. 



scute (CD/CL, CD/CW, CD/SW), longer cervical scute underlap- 

 ventral length (CU/CS), greater anterior extension of cervical scute 

 (NR/CL), deeper curve of epiplastron (EP/PS), greater ratio of 

 anterior/ posterior width of marginal XII (MA/ MP), broader angle of 

 anal scutes (AA), and greater ratio of anterior/ posterior plastral lobe 

 width (PW/XW). In our sample that compares P. concinna concinna 

 with P. floridana floridana, we found no differences in these characters 

 and thus conclude that they have no taxonomic value in separating 

 species in the central Atlantic drainages. Unfortunately, Ward (1984) 

 did not provide a list of the specimens he examined. Most of Ward's 

 characters do appear to separate the Florida subspecies, P. floridana 

 peninsularis, from P. concinna (personal observation). Therefore, we 

 assume that Ward's interspecific comparisons of P. floridana were based 

 primarily or exclusively on character analysis of P.f peninsularis. 



Many of the qualitative characters that have been used to define 

 species of Pseudemys show considerable intraspecific variation in Atlantic 

 slope populations. Among 15 characters recorded, only five were found 

 to have taxonomic value. Of the P. concinna examined, 63% showed 



