A New Subspecies of Slider Turtle (pseudemys Scripta) from Coahuila, México

This 1960 monograph documents the discovery of a new subspecies of slider turtle from the Cuatro Ciénegas basin in Coahuila, Mexico. John M. Legler presents his field research from 1958, describing the morphological characteristics that distinguish Pseudemys scripta taylori from other regional populations. The work provides meticulous measurements of the holotype and paratypes, detailing shell morphology, coloration, and plastron patterns. Legler analyzes the evolutionary relationships, proposing this population represents a relict form isolated in the Cuatro Ciénegas basin, an ancient aquatic system trapped in the Mexican desert, geographically disconnected from other slider turtle populations for thousands of years. The monograph establishes the taxonomic foundation for understanding this distinct turtle, while documenting its habitat preferences and geographic range within one of Mexico's most unique ecological islands.