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Spanish, English and Taxonomic Designation Reference Table

The following is a table created to assist those who need to relate the scientific designation for a species to common names in both Spanish and English.  Please note, this table is not intended to be all inclusive, many species are known by more than one common name depending on local custom.

For pictures of each of the following species, please see the  World Chelonian Trust Picture Galleries

Sincere thanks to  Julio Arturo Torres Jaubert for his work in compiling this table.

Species for which the World Chelonian Trust has care sheets in Spanish as well as English are linked respectively below.  

Taxonomic Designation Spanish Name English Name      
Acanthochelys pallidipectoris Tortuga de cuello ladeado de El Chaco Chaco sideneck turtle      
Amyda cartilaginea Tortuga asiática de concha blanda Asian softshelled turtle  
Apalone spinifera spinifera Tortuga de concha blanda espinosa Spiny softshell turtle  
Batagur baska Terrapene de Río River Terrapin  
Callagur borneoensis Galápago Pintado de Borneo Painted Terrapin  
Caretta caretta Tortuga marina común Loggerhead sea turtle  
Carettochelys insculpata Tortuga de carapacho blando / Tortuga boba papuana Pignose turtle  
Carettochelys insculpta Tortuga de Ramsay Pig-nosed Fly River turtle  
Chelodina expansa Tortuga gigante de cuello de serpiente Broad-shelled turtle  
Chelodina longicollis Tortuga de cuello de serpiente Eastern long-necked turtle  
Chelonia mydas Tortuga verde / tortuga franca / Tortuga blanca Green sea turtle  
Chelus fimbriatus Mata mata Mata mata  
Chelydra serpentina Tortuga comilluda Snapper / snapping turtle  
Chelydra serpentina osceola Tortuga de presa Florida Snapping turtle  
Chelydra serpentina serpentina Tortuga de presa americana / Tortuga mordedora Common snapping turtle  
Chersina angulata To bauprés Bowsprit tortoise  
Chinemys nigricans Tortuga de Cuello Rojo Redneck Pond Turtle  
Chinemys reevesii Tortuga de Reeves Reeves' Turtle  
Chitra indica Tortuga de concha blanda y cabeza estrecha Narrow-headed softshelled turtle  
Chrysemys picta Tortuga Pintada Painted Turtle  
Claudius angustatus Tortuga almizclada de puente estrecho Narrow-bridged musk turtle  
Clemmys gutatta Galápago jaspeado Spotted turtle  
Clemmys insculpta Galápago del bosque Wood turtle  
Clemmys marmorata Tortuga de Estanque del Pacífico Pacific Pond Turtle  
Clemmys muhlenbergii Tortuga Acuática de Mühlenberg Bog Turtle  
Cuora amboinensis Tortuga de Caja del Sureste de Asia Southeast Asia Box Turtle  
Cuora amboinensis amboinensis Tortuga de caja malaya / Tortuga de Ambon Malayan box turtle  
Cuora aurocapitata Tortuga de Caja de Cabeza Amarilla Yellow-headed Box Turtle  
Cuora flavomarginata Tortuga de Caja de Margenes Amarillas Yellow-margined Box Turtle  
Cuora galbinifrons Tortuga de Caja Indochina Indochinese Box Turtle  
Cuora mccordi Tortuga de Caja de McCord McCord's Box Turtle  
Cuora pani Tortuga de Caja de Pan Pan's Box Turtle  
Cuora trifasciata Tortuga de Caja China Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle  
Cuora yunnanensis Tortuga de Caja de Yunnan Yunnan Box Turtle  
Cuora zhoui Tortuga de Caja de Zhou Zhou's Box Turtle  
Deirochelys reticularia Tortuga Pollo Chicken Turtle  
Dermatemys mawii Tortuga de río de Centroamérica Central American river turtle  
Dermochelys coriácea Tortuda laúd / Tortuga Cardón (Ven.) / Tortuga sin concha / Tortuga tora (CenA) Leatherback sea turtle  
Emydoidea blandingii Tortuga de Blanding Blanding's Turtle  
Emys blandingii Tortuga acuática americana Blanding's turtle  
Emys orbicularis Galápago Europeo / Tortuga de charca europea / Tortuga acuática europea European Pond Turtle  
Eretmochelys imbricata Tortuga carey / Tortuga carape (Ven) Hawksbill turtle  
Geochelone carbonaria Tortuga de Patas Rojas / Tortuga carbonera Red-Footed Tortoise  
Geochelone chilensis Tortuga del Chaco Chilean Tortoise  
Geochelone denticulata Tortuga de Patas Amarillas Yellow-footed Tortoise  
Geochelone elegans Tortuga Hindú / Tortuga estrella de la India Star Tortoise  
Geochelone gigantea Tortuga de Aldabra Aldabran Giant Tortoise  
Geochelone nigra Tortuga de las Islas Galápagos Giant Tortoise  
Geochelone pardalis Tortuga Leopardo Leopard Tortoise  
Geochelone platynota Tortuga Estrellada Burmese Star Tortoise  
Geochelone radiata Tortuga Radiada Radiated Tortoise  
Geochelone sulcata Tortuga Africana de Espuelas African Spurred Tortoise  
Geochelone yniphora Tortuga Angonoka Ploughshare Tortoise  
Geoclemys hamiltonii Tortuga de Estanque Moteada / Galápago de Hamilton Spotted Pond Turtle  
Geoemyda japonica Tortuga de Pecho Negro de Okinawa Okinawa Black-breasted Leaf Turtle  
Geoemyda silvatica Tortuga del Bosque Cochin Cochin Forest Cane Turtle  
Geoemyda spengleri Tortuga de Pecho Negro China Chinese Black-breasted Leaf Turtle  
Gopherus agassizii Tortuga de California California Desert Tortoise  
Gopherus berlandieri Tortuga de Texas Texas Gopher Tortoise  
Gopherus flavomarginatus Tortuga Mexicana Mexican Gopher Tortoise  
Gopherus poliphemus Tortuga del desierto Gopher tortoise  
Gopherus polyphemus Tortuga de la Florida Florida Gopher Tortoise  
Graptemys barbouri Tortuga Mapa de Barbour Barbour's Map Turtle  
Graptemys caglei Tortuga Mapa de Cagle Cagle's Map Turtle  
Graptemys ernsti Tortuga Mapa de Ernst Ernst's Map Turtle  
Graptemys flavimaculata Tortuga Mapa Manchada de Amarillo Yellow-blotched Map Turtle  
Graptemys geographica Tortuga Mapa Común Common Map Turtle  
Graptemys gibbonsi Tortuga Mapa de Gibbons Gibbons' Map Turtle  
Graptemys nigrinoda Tortuga Mapa de Puntos Negros Black-knobbed Map Turtle  
Graptemys oculifera Tortuga Mapa Anillada Ringed Map Turtle  
Graptemys ouachitensis Tortuga Mapa Ouachita Ouachita Map Turtle  
Graptemys pseudogeographica Tortuga Mapa Falsa False Map Turtle  
Graptemys pulchra Tortuga Mapa de Alabama Alabama Map Turtle  
Graptemys versa Tortuga Mapa de Texas Texas Map Turtle  
Hardella thurjii Tortuga de Río Coronada Crowned River Turtle  
Heosemys depressa Tortuga del Bosque Arakan Arakan Forest Turtle  
Heosemys grandis Tortuga de Estanque Asiática Gigante Giant Asian Pond Turtle  
Heosemys leytensis Tortuga de Estanque Filipina Philippine Pond Turtle  
Heosemys spinosa Tortuga Espinosa Spiny Turtle  
Kachuga tecta Tortuga de la India Indian Roofed Turtle  
Kinixys belliana Tortuga articulada de Bell