Abstract
Mesoclemmys heliostemma (Testudines: Chelidae) was described based on five vouchered specimens and nine live spec-imens from the western Amazon basin. Some authors questioned its status as a valid species, suggesting that it representsa junior synonym of M. raniceps. Here, we report on eight additional specimens from eastern Peru and northern Brazil,and provide descriptive statistics of morphological characters for hatchlings, juveniles, and adults of M. heliostemma, M.raniceps, and M. gibba. We also test for group differences through univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, anddiscuss some advantages of this methodology. Our data suggest that all three taxa are morphologically divergent, and that M. heliostemma is a valid species.References
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