Emdoidea blandingi (underlined) the Blanding's turtle and Glyptemys ( Clemmys) insculpta (underlined), the North American wood turtle. These two species have repeatly breed and produced hybrids - with interesting combined features. Harding and Davis (1999) wrote a paper on these hybrids and Harding has taken photes (2003) of many hybrid individuals with interesting traits form both Genus species. The standard criteria for a viable species is the inability to breed and produce a viable offspring capable of reproduction. If two different species produce living young, the best to expect is a sterile 'mule'. Thus, if E. blandingii and G. insculpta are producing hardy hybrids ( As far as known no reproduction of the hybrids is known - and if so, would totally throw scientific turtle classifcation on it's ear!) Then, at best, according to the Linnanean scientific classification standard, the two above species of turtle should be then reclassified as separate species within the same genus (probably Glyptemys - thus, the blanding's turtle may become Glyptemys blandingii {underlined}).

Pilirin
9/28/07

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