Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Turtles Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Subclass: Anapsida Order: Testudines Table of contents 1 Synonyms and common names 2 Text 3 Classification of Turtles 4 Order Testudines - Turtles 5 References Synonyms and common names Turtles, terrapins, tortoises Text Leatherback turtle. Photo credit: NOAA Testudines is the order of reptiles containing all turtles. All living turtles are in Chelonia; but some extinct turtles are Testudines but not Chelonia. Testudines are anapsids, that is, their skulls lack temporal openings, and they are classified by cladists in the taxon Anapsida. All other extant amniotes have temporal openings (although in mammals the hole is obscured). See Also: Jackson Ratio Classification of Turtles Order Testudines - Turtles Suborder Cryptodira Family Chelydridae (Snapping Turtles) Superfamily Testudinoidea Family Testudinidae (Tortoises) Family Bataguridae (Asian River Turtles, Leaf and Roofed Turtles, Asian Box Turtles) Family Emydidae (Pond Turtles/Box and Water Turtles) Superfamily Trionychoidea Family Carettochelyidae (Pignose Turtles) Family Trionychidae (Softshell Turtles) Superfamily Kinosternoidea Family Dermatemydidae (River Turtles) Family Kinosternidae (Mud and Musk Turtles) Family Platysternidae (Big-headed Turtles) '''Superfamily Chelonioidea Family Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles) Family Dermochelyidae (Leatherback Turtles) Suborder Pleurodira Family Chelidae (Austro-American Sideneck Turtles) Superfamily Pelomedusoidea Family Pelomedusidae (Afro-American Sideneck Turtles) Family Podocnemididae (Madagascan Big-headed and American Sideneck River Turtles) References http://www.innvista.com/taxonomy/reptiles/default.htm as of 2002-06-16 http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/anapsids/testudines/testudines.html as of 2002-06-17 This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.