Sometimes taxonomists create new names for groups that already have a name. They may do this because they are unaware of the original name, or they may think the organism before them belongs to a different group when in fact it does not. If two or more names are found to apply to the same group, they are considered synonyms. In most cases, the first name takes priority and is considered to be the valid or accepted name. However, there can be exceptions, and it's not always easy to determine which of a series of synonyms should be considered valid or accepted. Here we list the synonyms provided to EOL by our classification partners. We also include other versions of the name that most likely refer to the same group, for example, misspellings in the literature or different variations of the authorship associated with the name.

Preferred marks the preferred name from each source.

The Reptile Database

Name Relationship
Dermochelys coriacea VANDELLI 1761 Preferred
Testudo coriacea Vandelli, 1761 Synonym
Testudo coriacea — LINNAEUS 1766: 350 Synonym
Testudo arcuata CATESBY 1771: 40 Synonym
Testudo lyra LACÉPÈDE 1788: 111 Synonym
Testudo tuberculata PENNANT 1801 (in SCHOEPFF) Synonym
Chelonia lutaria RAFINESQUE 1814 Synonym
Dermochelys Blainville, 1816 Synonym
Sphargis mercurialis MERREM 1820 (nom. subst. pro. T. coriacea LINNAEUS) Synonym
Dermochelis atlantica LESUEUR 1829 (nomen nudum) Synonym
Dermatochelys porcata WAGLER 1830 (nomen subst. pro. T. coriacea LINNAEUS) Synonym
Sphargis coriacea — GRAY 1831 Synonym
Testudo coriacea — CUVIER 1831: 17 Synonym
Sphargis Coriacea — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1835: 560 Synonym
Dermatochelys coriacea — GÜNTHER 1864 Synonym
Sphargis mercurialis — GRAY 1873: 172 Synonym
Sphargis coriacea var. schlegelii GARMAN 1884: 303 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea — BOULENGER 1889 Synonym
Sphargis angusta PHILIPPI 1899 Synonym
Dermochelys schlegelii — GARMAN 1908 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea schlegeli — SHANNON 1956 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea — STEBBINS 1985: 107 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea schlegeli — STEBBINS 1985 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 77 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea — ENGELMANN et al 1993 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea — LINER 1994 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea — GLAW & VENCES 1994: 229 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea — COX et al. 1998: 137 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea — COGGER 2000: 185 Synonym
Dermochelys coriacea — BONIN et al 2006 Synonym

Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Name Relationship
Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) Preferred
Dermochelys coriacea coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) Subsequent name/combination
Testudo coriacea Vandelli, 1761 Original name/combination
Dermochelys coriacea schlegelii (Garman, 1884) Junior synonym
Sphargis coriacea schlegelii Garman, 1884 Junior synonym

South African Vertebrates

Name Relationship
Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) Preferred
Chelonia lutaria RAFINESQUE 1814 Synonym
Dermatochelys coriacea GÜNTHER 1864 Synonym
Dermatochelys porcata WAGLER 1830 Synonym
Dermochelis atlantica LESUEUR 1829 Synonym
Sphargis angusta PHILIPPI 1899 Synonym
Sphargis coriacea GRAY 1831 Synonym
Sphargis coriacea schlegelii Garman, 1884 Synonym
Sphargis mercurialis MERREM 1820 Synonym
Testudo arcuata CATESBY 1771 Synonym
Testudo coriacea Vandelli, 1761 Synonym
Testudo lyra LACÉPÈDE 1788 Synonym
Testudo tuberculata PENNANT 1801 Synonym

Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: April 2013

Name Relationship
Dermochelys coriacea VANDELLI 1761 Preferred
Chelonia lutaria RAFINESQUE 1814 Synonym
Dermatochelys coriacea GÜNTHER 1864 Synonym
Dermatochelys porcata WAGLER 1830 Synonym
Dermochelis atlantica LESUEUR 1829 Synonym
Sphargis angusta PHILIPPI 1899 Synonym
Sphargis coriacea GRAY 1831 Synonym
Sphargis coriacea schlegelii Garman, 1884 Synonym
Sphargis mercurialis MERREM 1820 Synonym
Testudo arcuata CATESBY 1771 Synonym
Testudo coriacea Vandelli, 1761 Synonym
Testudo lyra LACÉPÈDE 1788 Synonym
Testudo tuberculata PENNANT 1801 Synonym

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