In Depth
Chupacabrachelys is a genus of side-necked turtle known to have lived in what is now Texas during the late Cretaceous. As a side necked (pleurodiran) turtle, the head would not have retracted under the shell, but rather folded back under the side. Further to being a pleurodiran, Chupacabrachelys is also a bothremydid turtle, and so far bothremydids seem to have frequented freshwater. At the time of the description of the genus, Chupacabrachelys was recognised as one of the most complete bothremydid turtles so far known.
Chupacabrachelys was named after the internationally famous cryptid Chupacabra that in modern folklore is famed for attacking and sucking the blood out of animals such as goats and chickens.
Further Reading
- Chupacabrachelys complexus, n. gen. n. sp. (Testudines: Bothremydidae), from the Aguja Formation (Campanian) of West Texas. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(6):1709-1725. - Thomas M. Lehman & Steven L. Wick - 2010.
