Balkan terrapin - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Mauremys rivulata) Species of turtle

Balkan terrapin

Balkan terrapin in captivity
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Genus:	Mauremys
Species:	M. rivulata
Binomial name
*Mauremys rivulata* (Valenciennes, 1833)

Synonyms
List Emys rivulata Valenciennes, 1833 Emys tristrami Gray, 1869 Emys caspica var. arabica Gray, 1870 Emys pannonica Gray, 1870 Emys tristram Gray, 1873 (ex errore) Emys arabica Gray, 1873 Clemmys caspica orientalis Bedriaga, 1881 Clemmys caspica var. rivulata Boulenger, 1889 Clemmys caspica var. obsoleta Schreiber, 1912 Clemmys caspica cretica Mertens, 1946 Mauremys caspica rivulata Młynarski, 1969 Mauremys rivulata Bour, 1994 Mauremys rivulata rivulata Maran, 1996 Mauremys rivulata tristrami Maran, 1996 Mauremys caspica cretica Bonin, Devaux & Dupré, 1996 Emmenia rivulata Vetter, 2006 Mauremys rivulata cretica Bonin, Devaux & Dupré, 2006

The Balkan terrapin or western Caspian terrapin (Mauremys rivulata) is a species of terrapin in the family Geoemydidae. It is found in the eastern Mediterranean region. While technically omnivorous, the terrapins are known to prefer meat. They can grow to 25 cm (9.8 in) in carapace length, although hatchlings are usually only 3 to 4 cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) in length.

Distribution

It is found in the Balkan Peninsula (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Greece), a number of Mediterranean islands including Crete, Lesvos and Cyprus, and in the Middle East (Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey). On some Greek and Turkish islands where the terrapins are found, they may be threatened with extirpation.

Physical description

Mauremys rivulata are fairly large, with carapace lengths up to 25 cm (9.8 in); hatchling turtles of this species are usually between 3 and 4 centimetres (1.2 and 1.6 in) in length. The average strait carapace length is roughly 15 cm (5.9 in); females are slightly larger. The terrapins' carapaces are black to olive green in colour, and the plastron (the shell on the belly) black, although the latter frequently fades as the turtles age. The species also has horizontal yellowish lines running along the neck and limbs.

Habitat and ecology

The species is mostly lowland, although the terrapins have been recorded as far up as 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level. They are found in wetland habitats, including swamps, rivers, and ponds, although they lay their eggs in grassland regions.

Mauremys rivulata are preyed on by large birds and predacious mammals such as mongoose who also feed on the terrapins' eggs, although smaller carnivores may prey on younger turtles with softer shells.

Diet

Mauremys rivulata is an omnivorous species, eating both plants and animals, although a preference for meat is documented. Young terrapins will eat small invertebrates as well as small amphibian larvae or carcasses; adult terrapins are known to also eat algae and aquatic plants.

Interactions with humans

Human behaviour affecting the species' habitat has caused population decline. The largest effects come from urbanisation, water engineering projects, and industrial waste from construction.

In the northern portion of its range, the species may hibernate during the winter. Although the terrapins may accept bread offered by humans, they do not have the enzymes needed to digest it, and such offerings are thus bad for their health.

References

Citations

Luiselli, L.; Vamberger, M. (2024). "Mauremys rivulata (Europe assessment)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024: e.T158470A207668374. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
Rhodin et al. 2010, p. 000.112
Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2). At the request of the CITES Nomenclature Committee and the German Agency for Nature Conservation and funded by the Museum für Tierkunde Dresden and the German Federal Ministry of Environment: 149–368. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. ISSN 1864-5755.
Mauremys rivulata at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 9 March 2019.
^ Broggi, Mario F. (2023-08-23). "Occurrence and tentative population status of the Balkan Terrapin (Mauremys rivulata, Valenciennes, 1833) on Greek islands". Herpetozoa. 36: 233–247. doi:10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e100533. ISSN 2682-955X.
Metin, K.; Koca, Y. Başimoğlu; Kiral, F. Kargin; Koca, S.; Türkozan, O. (2008). "Blood Cell Morphology and Plasma Biochemistry of Captive Mauremys caspica (Gmelin, 1774) and Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833)" (PDF). Acta Veterinaria Brno. 77 (2): 163–174. doi:10.2754/avb200877020163. ISSN 0001-7213. S2CID 86550290.
^ Štih, Ana; Koren, Toni; Zadravec, Mladen (2015). The Balkan Terrapin - secretive resident of southern Croatia. The City of Dubrovnik; Croatian Herpetological Society. ISBN 978-953-95256-1-1.
Chelazzi, G.; Naziridis, T.; Benvenuti, S.; Ugolini, A.; Crivelli, A. J. (3 May 2006). "Use of river-wetland habitats in a declining population of the terrapin (Mauremys rivulata) along the Strymon River, northern Greece". Journal of Zoology. 271 (2): 154–161. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00193.x. ISSN 0952-8369.
Gvozdenović, Slađana; Iković, Vuk (March 2016). Distribution and vulnerability of Balkan Terrapin (Mauremys rivulata) in Montenegro. Nature knows no Boundaries: Rufford Small Conference in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ISBN 978-953-95256-3-5.

General references

Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Iverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the World 2010 Update: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution and Conservation Status" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-12-15.

Family Geoemydidae

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Geoemydidae

Genera

Species of the family Geoemydidae

†Banhxeochelys

†Banhxeochelys trani

Batagur

Cuora

Cyclemys

†Echmatemys

Geoclemys

Black pond turtle

Geoemyda

Hardella

Brahminy river turtle

Heosemys

Leucocephalon

Sulawesi forest turtle

Malayemys

Mauremys

Melanochelys

Morenia

Notochelys

Malayan flat-shelled turtle

Orlitia

Malaysian giant turtle

Pangshura

Rhinoclemmys

Sacalia

Siebenrockiella

Vijayachelys

Cane turtle

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=Extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Genus

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers
Mauremys rivulata	Wikidata: Q1504849 Wikispecies: Mauremys rivulata ADW: Mauremys_rivulata BOLD: 29437 CoL: 3YFWM EoL: 791487 EUNIS: 241625 Fauna Europaea: 214786 Fauna Europaea (new): 539f9ae9-8f64-4ccd-a127-5f0c76511215 GBIF: 2443384 iNaturalist: 105329 IRMNG: 10640665 ITIS: 949164 NCBI: 202460 Observation.org: 81485 Open Tree of Life: 1078568 RD: rivulata

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