NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Colombian Wood Turtle
Rhinoclemmys melanosterna (Gray, 1861)
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 Colombian wood turtle (Rhinoclemmys melanosterna) is one of nine species of turtle belonging to the genus Rhinoclemmys of the family Geoemydidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
Wikipedia contributors, Colombian wood turtle; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:32:17.450735+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Rhinoclemmys melanosterna (Gray, 1861)
- Name authority
- (Gray, 1861)
- Common name
- Colombian Wood Turtle
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Testudines
- Family
- Geoemydidae
- Genus
- Rhinoclemmys
- 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
- suborderCryptodira
- superfamilyTestudinoidea
- familyGeoemydidae
- genusRhinoclemmys
- speciesRhinoclemmys melanosterna (Gray, 1861)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Rhinoclemmys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Painted Wood TurtleRhinoclemmys pulcherrima (Gray, 1855) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Mexican Spotted Wood TurtleRhinoclemmys rubida (Cope, 1870) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Black Wood TurtleRhinoclemmys funerea (Cope, 1875) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Chocoan River turtleRhinoclemmys nasuta (Boulenger, 1902) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Spotted-legged TurtleRhinoclemmys punctularia (Daudin, 1801) | GeoemydidaeChordata | 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 |
|---|---|
| Geoclemmys melanosterna Gray, 1861 Gray, 1861 | 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=Rhinoclemmys&species=melanosterna 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:4S8B3. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.