Phrynops

{{Short description|Genus of turtles}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Phrynops hilarii 2.jpg

| image_caption = Phrynops hilarii

| taxon = Phrynops

| authority = Wagler 1830Wagler, J. (1830). Natürliches System der Amphibien, mit vorangehender Classification der Säugthiere und Vögel. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie. Munich, Stuttgart, and Tübingen: J.G. Cotta. vi + 354 pp. + 9 plates. (in German and Latin).

| synonyms =

• Spatulemys {{small|Gray 1872}}Gray, J.E. (1872). "On Spatulemys Lasalæ, a new genus of Hydraspidæ from Rio Parana, Corrientes". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Fourth Series 10: 463.
• Parahydraspis {{small|Wieland 1923}}Wieland, George R. (1923). "A new Paraná pleurodiran". American Journal of Science, Series 5, 5: 1–14.

| synonyms_ref=Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (van Dijk, P.P.; Iverson, J.B.; Rhodin, A.G.J.; Shaffer, H.B.; Bour, R.) (2014). Turtles of the World, 7th edition: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution with maps, and conservation status". In: Rhodin, A.G.J.; Pritchard, P.C.H.; van Dijk, P.P.; Saumure, R.A.; Buhlmann, K.A.; Iverson, J.B.; Mittermeier, R.A. (Editors) (2014). "Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group". [http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/wp-content/uploads/file/Accounts/crm_5_000_checklist_v7_2014.pdf Chelonian Research Monographs 5 (7): 000.329–479], doi:10.3854/ crm.5.000.checklist.v7.2014.

| range_map =

}}

Sometimes called the bearded toadheads but better known by their scientific name of Phrynops this genus of turtles has often been a bit of a dumping ground for the short-necked South American turtles of the family Chelidae.

The genus is widely distributed in South America found in the Orinoco to Amazon and São Francisco to Paraná and adjacent river basins of Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina (Iverson, 1992).lverson, J.B. (1992). Revised Checklist with Distribution Maps of the Turtles of the World. Richmond, Indiana: Privately Printed. 363 pp.

A turtle of the genus Phrynops generally achieves thermoregulation through areal basking. In order to best attain its goal, it tends to increase its basking time during mid-day during the winters to make up for the cold. Other factors such as food intake and reproduction underwater also influence the way it controls the temperature of its body. Although this is the main way it is able to maintain body temperature, food intake and reproduction rates are also influential in the matter.