Formerly under the genus "Emys", black marsh turtles are now classified under "Siebenrockiella". They were first described by the British zoologist John Edward Gray from three specimens from the collections of Thomas Bell. Black marsh turtles used to be monotypic within the genus "Siebenrockiella" until Diesmos et al. (2005) showed based on genetic studies and morphology, that the recently rediscovered and critically endangered Philippine forest turtles, until that time known as "Heosemys leytensis", were actually very closely related. Philippine forest turtles were subsequently reassigned to "Siebenrockiella" under the subgenus "Panyaenemys".