Southern Painted Turtle Chrysemys dorsalis  Agassiz, 1857

Taxonomic Comments:

Starkey, David E., H. Bradley Shaffer, Russell L. Burke, Michael R. J. Forstner, John B. Iverson, Fredric J. Janzen, Anders G. J. Rhodin, and Gordon R. Ultsch [2003 Molecular systematics, phylogeography, and the effects of Pleistocene glaciation in the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) complex. Evolution 57(1): 119-128] recognized two evolutionary lineages within Chrysemys: C. dorsalis in the southern Mississippi drainage region, and C. picta from the rest of the range of the genus. Common name for Chrysemys dorsalis remains Southern Painted Turtle. Collins & Taggart (2009 Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians. Sixth Edition) submitted for consideration the conclusions by Starkey et al. (2008 op. cit.) to a chelonian systematist group composed of John W. Bickham, John B. Iverson, Peter V. Lindeman, Jeffrey Lovich, Peter Meylan, Peter C. H. Pritchard, Michael E. Seidel, H. Bradley Shaffer, David E. Starkey, and Patrick R. Stephens, and a majority of those responding agreed.