Northern red-bellied eared turtle
| Northern red-bellied eared turtle | ||||||||||||
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Northern red-bellied ear turtle ( Pseudemys rubriventris ) |
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| Pseudemys rubriventris | ||||||||||||
| ( Le Conte , 1830) |
The northern red-bellied ear turtle ( Pseudemys rubriventris ) is a turtle of the genus real ear turtles , which belongs to the family of the New World pond turtles . Their occurrence is limited to the east of the USA and extends there from east Massachusetts with a disjoint distribution area and the central area of New Jersey to northeastern North Carolina. The range also includes regions east of the Potomac . On Long Island there is a small population based on animals introduced there.
Appearance
The carapace length of the fully grown Northern red-bellied eared turtle reaches a length of 26 to 32 centimeters. The color of the armor is a brown-black mahogany with a red network. The head is brown. A thin yellow line runs from the eyes to the muzzle. The neck also has a series of thicker and thinner yellow lines.
The belly armor of males is almost pink in color. The claws on the extremities are long and straight. The cloaca is clearly outside the belly shell. Adult females are usually larger than males. Their belly armor is much redder than that of the males.
Habitat and way of life
This eared turtle lives in large freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds and water inlets. Most of the bodies of water she inhabits have rapid water movement, are deep, and have a muddy bottom. It is also occasionally found in brackish water areas.
The northern red-bellied ear turtle prefers bodies of water with rich vegetation and numerous possibilities such as stones or tree trunks to bathe in the sun. They spend a large part of the day resting in the sun. They mainly eat water plants and algae. There are also crustaceans, snails, fish and tadpoles.
Reproduction
The females lay eggs between June and July. The nesting pit is created by the females on average 90 meters from the water and is about 1 meter above the water line. A clutch usually contains ten to seventeen eggs. At an ambient temperature of 25 degrees, about 75 days pass before hatching. In late clutches, the young usually overwinter in the eggs. The animals are sexually mature at around five to seven years of age.
Predators and causes of mortality
Raccoons , skunks , crows , herons and bullfrogs are predators of the northern red-bellied eared turtle . A number of areas where these eared turtles traditionally nest have now been converted into settlements. In these areas, large numbers of Pseudemys rubriventris are also killed by lawn mowers because the animals like to rest in the lawn.
Duration
In the United States, the northern red-bellied eared turtle is listed as an endangered species (under the Endangered Species Act of 1973). It is forbidden to trade with these animals. The causes of the decline in populations include the loss of nesting areas, environmental pollution, negative effects from pesticides and increased predation of eggs and young animals. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has been making efforts to protect this species since 1985 . This includes educating the population in the regions where this species of turtle occurs and preventing hunting.
proof
Individual evidence
literature
- Manfred Rogner: Tortoises - biology, keeping, reproduction , Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5440-1
Web links
- Information about the northern red-bellied turtle
- Page about Pseudemys rubriventris
- Pseudemys rubriventris in The Reptile Database
- Pseudemys rubriventris inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: van Dijk, PP, 2010. Accessed February 1, 2014.