A morphological review of the Cuora flavomarginata complex (Testudines: Geoemydidae).

A reevaluation of the morphometric and color pattern differences within the Asiatic box turtle, Cuora flavomarginata sensu latu, was conducted in view of determining the taxonomic position of the three currently recognized subspecies: C. f. flavomarginata (Taiwan), C. f. sinensis (southern mainland China), and C. f. evelynae (Ryukyu Islands, Japan). Recent analyses indicate that the allopatric population of C. f. evelynae is the most divergent of the three taxa and shares little possibility for gene exchange with the other two populations. In contrast, the populations of C. f. flavomarginata and C. f. sinensis share many characters. We recommend the recognition of the Ryukyu population as a full species, C. evelynae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]