I

Asiatic Herpetological Research

April 1990

Vol.3, pp. 120-122

The Validity of Sacalia quadriocellata
JINZHONG FU AND ERMI ZHAO 21^Zoological Institute, Academia Sinica, Beijing, China^Chengdu Institute of Biology, Academia Sinica, P. 0. Box 416, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Key Words: Reptilia, Testudines, Emydidae, Sacalia quadriocellata, China, taxonomic validity.

Introduction
Sacalia quadriocellata
was first
described by Siebenzock in 1903 as
bealei quadriocellata. Popedescribed(1935)
Clemmys quadriocellata

Clemmysfrom Hainan, and compared it withClemmys bealei. But most people except
Pope thought that S. quadriocellata was asynonym of S. bealei. Sachsse (1984a)held that it was the female of S. bealei.

2) Sacalia quadriocellata have two ocelli
on each side of the dorsal surface of thehead. The ocelli always have distinct
boundaries and there is one black spot

within each ocellus (Fig. 1). In contrast,
have one or two ocelli on eachside of the dorsal surface of the head

S. bealei

If two ocelli are present, theynot
haveclear boundaries, but tend tomay
run together. There are from one to threeblack spots within each ocellus.

(Fig. 1).

Methods
3) The anterior margin of the carapace hasSpecimens of Sacalia quadriocellata
from Hainan and Guangxi provinces, alongwith specimens of S. bealei from Hainan,
Fujian and Anhui provinces wereexamined. Data were taken on external,skull, and shell suture characters. Sexual

manylittleblack or chocolate brown
There are few

speckles in Sacalia bealei
or none in S. quadriocella.

.

Differences in skull characters1) The length from anterior of prefrontal todifferences were also examined.

posterior of basi occipital to supra occipitalis 2.59-2.62 (N = 3) in S. bealei
butResults;

2.92-3.39 (N = 3) in S. quadriocellata..

External differencesis2) The quadrate is not in contact with theopisthotic in Sacalia bealei, but in S.

uniform olive or chocolate brown in Sacalia
quadriocellata but it is vermiculated withquadriocellata the posterior part of thequadrate tends to contact the opisthotic.

1) The dorsal surface of,theheadblack in S. bealei.

abedFIG. 1.

Ocelli of Sacalia quadriocellata and S. bealei. A: Male 5. quadriocellata.
quadriocellata. C: S. bealei with a pair of ocelli. C: S. bealei with two pairs of ocelli.

(Piioon v,„

B:Female S.

April 1990

Asiatic Herpetological Research

TABLE 1.

Vol. 3, p. 121

Analysis of shell suture data.

Fig. 2 for details of measurement.

SeeAsiatic Herpetological ResearchVol. 3, p. 122

Literature Cited

FANG P. W.

April 1990

Salamandra 11:20-26.

1934. Notes on some Chelonians ofSCHMIDT K. P.

1927.

The reptiles of Hainan.

Bulletin American Museum of Natural History

China. Sinensia 4(7): 145- 199.

65:395-465.

POPE, C. H.

1935.

The reptiles of China.

Natural History of Central Asia, Vol. 10.
American Museum of Natural History, New
York. 604 pp.

ZHENG J. AND H. DING.

1965. [A preliminary
survey of the turtles and tortoises from Fukien].
Journal of Fukien Teachers College 1:163-193.
(In Chinese).

SACHSSE W.
unicolor

1984.

reevesiivar.

Chinemys
und Clemmys bealei var.
quadriocellata Auspragungen von Sexual
dormorphismus der beiden, Nominat formen.

—ZHONGC.

1981.

[Two new records of reptiles ofActa Herpetologica Sinica
1981,5(15):95-98. (In Chinese).

Jiangxi Province].