Mesoclemmys hogei
Local name: Hoge’s Toadhead Turtle
Hoge's sideneck turtle (Ranacephala hogei) is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. It is the only member of the genus Ranacephala.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoge's_side-necked_turtle
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Testudines
Family
Chelidae
Genus
Mesoclemmys
Mesoclemmys hogei belongs to the family Chelidae, order unknown, within the Testudines class.
Species Profile
Hoge's sideneck turtle (Ranacephala hogei) is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. It is the only member of the genus Ranacephala. The species is endemic to the eastern Atlantic Forest of Brazil, primarily in the Carangola River of Minas Gerais and Paraíba do Sul River, Rio de Janeiro. The most documented population resides in the midsection of the Carangola River with an estimated population of less than 2000.
Hoge's Toadhead Turtle faces severe threats primarily from habitat destruction and degradation due to agricultural expansion, urban development, and water pollution in its limited range in southeastern Brazil. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions, while collection for the pet trade and road mortality further compound population declines.
Key Facts
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Hoge's Toadhead Turtle faces severe threats primarily from habitat destruction and degradation due to agricultural expansion, urban development, and water pollution in its limited range in southeastern Brazil. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions, while collection for the pet trade and road mortality further compound population declines.
Extremely limited geographic range
Habitat loss and degradation from agriculture and urbanization
Water pollution and contamination
Collection for pet trade
Road mortality
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Mesoclemmys hogei (Mesoclemmys hogei). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/hoges-toadhead-turtle