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PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Series 4, Volume 65, Supplement II 
Pelomedusa, but subsequently P. subrufa was long treated as monotypic (e.g., Gasperetii et al. 
1993; Fritz and Havas 2007; Turtle Taxonomy Working Group 2007; Boyeott and Bourquin 2008). 
However, Vargas-Ramirez et al. (2010) identified several species-level lineages within P subrufa. 
Petzold et al. (2014) have formally resurrected several species from synonymy and have described 
additional species corresponding to the lineages identified genetically. The populations in Angola 
belong to the same taxon as the Madagascan type of P. subrufa, which represents a population 
introduced from the mainland of Africa (Vargas-Ramirez et al. 2010; Wong et al. 2010). Iverson 
(1986, 1992) and The Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (2007, 2014, 2017) presented point local¬ 
ity distribution maps for the species. 
Genus Pelusios Wagler, 1830 
Pelusios bechuanicus FitzSimons, 1932 Okavango Mud Turtle 
Pelusios bechuanicus FitzSimons 1932:37. Holotype: TM 14688 fide Broadley (1981a:664) and Mashinini 
and Mahlangu (2014:184) (collector V.F. FitzSimons). Type locality: “Thamalakane River at Maun, 
Ngamiland, Bechuanaland,” [Botswana]. 
Sternothaerus nigricans'. Monard (1931:109, 1937b: 148). 
Pelusios bechuanicus'. Laurent (1964a:27), Iverson (1986:239, 1992:57), Fritz and Havas 2007:346, Turtle 
Taxonomy Working Group (2014:436), Conradie et al. (2016:27). 
Pelusios bechuanicus bechuanicus'. Broadley (1981a:664). 
Global conservation status (lUCN): Not Evaluated. 
Global distribution: The species is limited to the greater Okavango basin, from the Cuban¬ 
go/Okavango River in the west to the Kafue Flats in Zambia and south to northeastern Namibia and 
northern Botswana. 
Ocurrences in Angola (Map 111): This 
species occurs in central-southeastern Angola. 
Moxico: “Riv. Chonga, affl. de la Lumeje, 100 
km a Test de Luso” [-11.75000, 20.75000] 
(Laurent 1964a:27; Broadley 1981a:666). 
Cunene: “Chimporo” [-16.03333, 17.15000] 
(Monard 1931:109, 1937b: 148; Broadley 
198la:666). Cuando Cubango: “flood waters 
of the lower Cuando River (44a)” [-17.57333, 
23.26000] (Conradie et al. 2016:90-10, 27). 
Taxonomic and distributional notes: 
FitzSimons (1932) short description was sup¬ 
plemented by a more extensive and illustrated 
version (FitzSimons 1935). Laurent (1964a) 
resurrected Pelusios bechuanicus from the syn¬ 
onymy of Pelusios subniger (Bonnaterre, 
1789) based on a single Angolan specimen 
from Moxico Province, and subsequently 
Broadley (1981a) allocated Sternothaerus 
nigricans (non Donndoff, 1798) from “Chimporo” (Monard 1931, 1937b) to this species as well. 
Iverson (1986, 1992) provided a distribution map with two records from Angola, which correspond 
to the “Chimporo” and “Chonga River” records listed above. 
Map 
Angola. 
111. Distribution of Pelusios bechuanicus in 
