Actinemys
Western pond turtle, (Actinemys marmorata)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Emydidae
Subfamily:	Emydinae
Genus:	Actinemys Agassiz, 1857

Actinemys is a small genus of turtles in the family Emydidae.^[1] The genus is endemic to the west coast of North America. The genus contains two species.

Species

The following two species are recognized as being valid.^[1]

• Actinemys marmorata (Baird & Girard, 1852) – northwestern pond turtle, northern Pacific pond turtle
• Actinemys pallida (Seeliger, 1945) – southwestern pond turtle, southern Pacific pond turtle

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Actinemys.

Taxonomy

Both species are sometimes included in the genus Emys (sensu lato).^[2] Actinemys pallida, the southwestern pond turtle, has been a recent split from Actinemys marmorata, of which it was previously considered a subspecies.

References

Further reading

• Agassiz L (1857). Contributions to the Natural History of the United States. Vol I. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. li + 452 pp. (Actinemys, new genus, p. 444).