Moor turtle
| Moor turtle | ||||||||||||
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Moor turtle ( Glyptemys muhlenbergii ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Glyptemys muhlenbergii | ||||||||||||
| ( Schoepff , 1801) |
The peat turtle ( Glyptemys muhlenbergii ) is a species of the New World pond turtle . Like the forest brook turtle, it belongs to the American water turtles . Up until a few years ago, the two species were still included in the genus Clemmys , which today only contains the tropical turtle as a monogeneric genus .
The bog turtle is one of the smallest North American turtles.
Appearance
The moorland turtle has a carapace length between 7.6 and 8.9 centimeters. Very large and old individuals can, in rare exceptional cases, reach a carapace of 11.5 centimeters. The back armor is brown to dark red-brown in color. The rear edge is not sawn. A striking characteristic of the moorland turtle is a bright yellow or orange color spot on both sides of the neck and on the nape of the neck. The head is also slightly brown in color. The belly armor is dark brown to black. Males can be identified by their concave belly armor.
distribution and habitat
The range of the moorland turtle stretches from the west of the US states Massachusetts , New York and Pennsylvania to the southwest of North Carolina , the west of South Carolina and the north of Georgia .
The habitat of the moorland turtle are shallow ponds, lakes, ponds, swamps, slow-flowing streams and bogs overgrown with peat moss. It occurs mainly in the low mountain ranges of its distribution area. The species is threatened because its habitat is becoming increasingly fragmented. In western Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, in northeast Maryland, in southern Virginia and in western North Carolina, this species only has isolated populations.
The moor turtle's habitat is characterized by high humidity and mosses in which it hides. She creates tunnels in weedy and mossy vegetation, which she runs down to look for worms, insects, snails and other animals. It also needs areas exposed to the sun. It shows a high level of activity in spring after rainfall. It usually overwinters in the bottom sludge of the water.
Reproduction
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Bog turtles mate in the first warm spring days. In their northern range, this is usually in late April to early June. Nests can be found under tufts of grass or moss in sunlit areas of a bog. The eggs contain between one and four eggs. They are laid in the period from June to July. The hatching time of the young depends on the temperature and humidity. They usually hatch after 42 to 60 days. In the northernmost distribution areas, the young occasionally overwinter in the egg or hatched in the nesting pit. Nests are often robbed by skunks and raccoons . They reach sexual maturity at the age of five to eight years.
Duration
The moorland turtle is particularly threatened by interference with its habitat. In their entire area of distribution, wetlands are increasingly being drained, converted into agricultural areas or settlements. The remaining wetlands are isolated from each other so that there is no genetic exchange. As a result, the stocks are genetically impoverished and more susceptible to disease. Bog turtles are also sensitive to changes in their habitat, such as eutrophication , other water levels or changes in the prevailing vegetation.
The illegal trapping of moorland turtles in order to keep them as pets represents a further threat of this species. The moorland turtle has been a Cites species since 1973 and is listed in Appendix I of the Washington Convention .
proof
Individual evidence
- ↑ CR Feldman, JF Parham: Molecular phylogenetics of Emydine turtles: taxonomic revision and the evolution of shell kinesis. In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 22, 2002, pp. 388-398.
- ↑ Rogner, p. 67
- ↑ WP Mara: Turtles and Land Turtles. 2nd Edition. bede-Verlag, Ruhmannsfelden 1998, p. 79.
literature
- Manfred Rogner: Tortoises - biology, keeping, reproduction. Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5440-1 .
Web links
- Glyptemys muhlenbergii in The Reptile Database
- Glyptemys muhlenbergii inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.1. Posted by: van Dijk, PP, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
- Page about the moorland turtle