Zambezi flapshell turtle

Zambezi flapshell turtle
Head of a Cycloderma frenatum
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Genus:	Cycloderma
Species:	C. frenatum
Binomial name
Cycloderma frenatum W. Peters, 1854
Synonyms
Cycloderma frenatum W. Peters, 1854 Cyclanosteus frenatus — Gray, 1856 Aspidochelys livingstonii Gray, 1860 Heptathyra frenata — Gray, 1864 Heptathyra livingstonii — Gray, 1864 Gymnopus subplanus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Amyda subplana — Fitzinger, 1843 Dogania subplana — Gray, 1844 Trionyx frenatus — Gray, 1856 Dogania guentheri Gray, 1862 Trionyx guentheri — Günther, 1864 Potamochelys frenatus — Gray, 1864

The Zambezi flapshell turtle (Cycloderma frenatum) is a species of softshell turtle in the family Trionychidae). Within its family, C. frenatum belongs to the smaller, and exclusively Old World, subfamily Cyclanorbinae.

Geographic range

C. frenatum is found in southeastern Africa, in the countries of Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe, and mainly in the Zambezi basin.

Conservation status

C. frenatum is becoming rare due to habitat loss.

Plastron with the peculiar hindleg flaps

Further reading

• Peters W (1854). "Übersicht der auf seiner Reise nach Mossambique beobachteten Schildkröten ". Bericht über die zur Bekanntmachung geeigneten Verhandlung der Königlich Preuissische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1854: 215–216. (Cycloderma frenatum, new species, p. 216). (in German and Latin).