A NEW RECORD AND OBSERVATIONS OF VANDERHAEGE'S TOAD-HEADED TURTLE,

sudoriental. Los especimenes se localizaron en un area de savana (cerrado) con pequefios tramos de bosque ripario. Se cementa brevemente el habitat circundante. El hallazgo de esta poblaci6n aislada puede ser importante en Ia conservaci6n de Ia especie ya que indica que otras poblaciones podrian sobrevivir y reproducirse en pequefios fragmentos con vegetaci6n bien conservada. Key words: Brazil, Chelidae, conservation, Phrynops vanderhaegei, turtle. Records related to geographical distribution for Brazilian freshwater turtles are relatively rare and the lack of such basic information has caused mistaken interpretations about species range (V/\NZOLINI, 1994). Since ecosystems are becoming highly fragmented mainly due to human action, all information available should be used to identify areas that harbor threatened species, which would allow the development of appropriate management programs. In this note, we report a new locality record for the Vanderhaege's toad-headed turtle, Phrynops vanderhaegei, and provide comments on its conservation and habitat in southeastern Brazil. Phrynops vanderhaegei is a medium-sized freshwater turtle, with carapace length around 250 mm (ERNST & BARBOUR, 1984; CABRERA, 1998). Few records concerning its natural history are available. Among these, anedoctal information indicates that this turtle is carnivorous and diurnal (ERNST & BARBOUR, 1989; CABRERA, 1998). Shallow water lagoons with dense aquatic vegetation and occasional scattered trees in the margins characterize it