University of Kansas Publications
Museum of Natural History
Volume 1, No. 6, pp. 117-124
July 7, 1947
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
LAWRENCE
1947
University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History
Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Donald S. Farner,
Donald F. Hoffmeister
Volume 1, No. 6, pp. 117-124
July 7, 1947
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
PRINTED BY
FERD VOILAND, JR., STATE PRINTER
TOPEKA, KANSAS
1947
21-6301
Kyphotic (hump-backed) soft-shelled turtles have been known for manyyears in Asia and America. Gressitt (Peking Natural History Bulletin, 2(pt. 4): 413-415, figs. 1-5, 1937) has reviewed accounts of suchturtles, and recorded the anomaly in Amyda sinensis (Wiegmann) and A.steindachneri (Siebenrock) of Asia and in unidentified species in theUnited States. Records of kyphosis in American species apparently arefew.
Three skeletons in the University of Kansas Museum of Natural Historydemonstrate occurrence of the condition in at least 3 American species:Amyda emoryi (Agassiz), A. mutica (Le Sueur) and A. spinifera (LeSueur). The specimen of A. emoryi (Catalog No. 2219) was taken atPhoenix, Maricopa Co., Arizona, by Victor H. Householder, on May 1,1926. The second specimen, called to my attention by C. W. Hibbard, wastaken in 1936 from the Kansas River at Lawrence, Douglas Co., Kansas, byMax Wheatley, to whom I am indebted for the accompanying photographs andpermission to describe the specimen which he has added to the Museum'scollections (No. 23230). The identity of No. 23230 is established as A.mutica by the absence of spines (see fig. 3) and by a number of cranialcharacters. The specimen of A. spinifera (No. 23026) is withoutlocality data; its identification is verified by the presence of spineson the front of the carapace.
In the specimen of A. mutica (see figures) the hump forms a smooth,high curve, closely resembling the condition in Gressitt's specimens ofA. steindachneri (op. cit.: fig. 1). In the other two the hump islower and its apex forms a relatively sharp angle; in the specimen ofA. spinifera the posterior face of the hump is more nearly verticalthan the anterior face. In A. emoryi the rear edge of the apex issharply inclined (at an angle of about 45°), whereas the remainder ofthe surface slants at an angle of about 35°.
In the accompanying table of measurements of specimens in the Universityof Kansas Museum of Natural History the height is measured from the endof the rib opposite the highest elevation to the crest of the elevation,by projected lines. The length is measured from the anterior border ofthe nuchal plate to the posterior edge of the last costal plate. Thewidth is measured from tip to[Pg 120] tip of the longest ribs. Cataloguenumbers of the specimens, with indication of the localities of captureare as follows: Nos. 2215-9, 2803, 2824, 2837, Phoenix, Maricopa Co.,Arizona; Nos. 19459-60, Ozark, Franklin Co., Arkansas; Nos. 2225-9,Lewisville, Lafayette Co., Arkansas; Nos. 1867-70, 1874-6, 1879, 1881,1930-1, 2666, 2761-2, 2826, 2838-42, Devalls Bluff, Prairie Co.,Arkansas; No. 16528, Orange Co., Florida; Nos. 1872, 1878, 1943, 1964,Doniphan Lake, Doniphan Co., Kansas; No. 2220, Douglas Co., Kansas; No.23230, Kansas River, Douglas