NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Maximilian’s Snake-headed Turtle
Hydromedusa maximiliani (Mikan, 1825)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Brazilian snake-necked turtle (Hydromedusa maximiliani), also known commonly as Maximilian's snake-necked turtle, and locally known in Brazilian Portuguese as cágado-da-serra ("mountain turtle") and cágado-pescoço-de-cobra ("snake-necked turtle"), is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is native to southeastern Brazil. It is one of the smallest Brazilian freshwater turtles, reaching a maximum straight carapace length of 20 cm (7.9 in). The species prefers streams with sandy and rocky bottoms and clear water in forests above 600 m (2,000 ft) elevation.
Wikipedia contributors, Brazilian snake-necked turtle; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:22:25.287017+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Hydromedusa maximiliani (Mikan, 1825)
- Name authority
- (Mikan, 1825)
- Common name
- Maximilian’s Snake-headed Turtle
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Testudines
- Family
- Chelidae
- Genus
- Hydromedusa
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderTestudines Batsch, 1788
- suborderPleurodira Cope, 1864
- superfamilyCheloidea Gray, 1825
- familyChelidae
- genusHydromedusa
- speciesHydromedusa maximiliani (Mikan, 1825)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Hydromedusa. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| South-American Snake-headed TurtleHydromedusa tectifera Cope, 1870 | ChelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Hydromedusa bankae Giebel, 1866 Giebel, 1866 | synonym |
| Hydromedusa depressa Gray, 1855 Gray, 1855 | synonym |
| Chelodina flavilabris Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Duméril & Bibron, 1835 | synonym |
| Hydromedusa maximiliana Gray, 1844 Gray, 1844 | synonym |
| Hydromedusa subdepressa Gray, 1855 Gray, 1855 | synonym |
| Emys maximiliani Mikan, 1820 Mikan, 1820 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Hydromedusa&species=maximiliani Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3N7L9. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.