species . ▁Ch el od ina ▁m cc ord i ▁rot ensis ▁ ▁from ▁eastern ▁R ote ▁and ▁Ch el od ina ▁m cord i ▁tim or ensis ▁ ▁from ▁Tim or . ▁In ▁a ▁recent ▁paper ▁the ▁eastern ▁R ote ▁form ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁identical ▁to ▁the ▁western ▁form ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁syn onym ised . ▁This ▁leaves ▁the ▁species ▁with ▁two ▁sub species ▁one ▁on ▁R ote ▁Island ▁and ▁one ▁on ▁Tim or . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Rot i ▁Island ▁s nake - ne ck ed ▁t urt le ▁was ▁split ▁from ▁the ▁New ▁Guinea ▁s nake - ne ck ed ▁t urt le ▁and ▁regarded ▁as ▁distinct ▁species ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁after ▁Dr . ▁Anders ▁Rh od in , ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Ch el onian ▁Research ▁Foundation ▁in ▁L un enburg ▁( M ass achusetts ), ▁found ▁differences ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁species . ▁The ▁first ▁s nake - ne ck ed ▁t urt les ▁on ▁R ote ▁Island ▁had ▁been ▁discovered ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁by ▁George ▁Albert ▁Bou len ger . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁Both ▁the ▁specific ▁name , ▁m cc ord i , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁common ▁names , ▁McC ord ' s ▁sn ak ene ck ▁t urt le , ▁are ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁Dr . ▁William ▁Patrick ▁McC ord ▁( born ▁ 1 9 5 0 ), ▁a ▁veter in arian ▁and ▁t urt le ▁expert ▁from ▁Hope well ▁J unction , ▁New ▁York . ▁ ▁Description ▁The