Magnificent Earth Tortoise

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Magnificent Earth Tortoise
Guatemala Magnificent Earth Tortoise

Guatemala Magnificent Earth Tortoise

Systematics
Order : Turtles (Testudinata)
Subordination : Halsberger tortoises (Cryptodira)
Family : Old World pond turtles (Geoemydidae)
Subfamily : Rhinoclemmydinae
Genre : American terrapins ( Rhinoclemmys )
Type : Magnificent Earth Tortoise
Scientific name
Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima
( Gray , 1855)

The Magnificent Earth Turtle ( Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima = "The Magnificent" / "The Magnificent"), also known as the Colorful Earth Turtle , is native to the extreme south of the United States to Central America in the northwest of Costa Rica . It is one of the American terrapins ( Rhinoclemmys ), the only genus of the Old World pond turtle family (Geoemydidae) that is native to the New World .

features

Magnificent terrapins reach a size of about 20 centimeters (shell length) and a weight of about 600 grams in females. The males are somewhat smaller, but have a longer, stronger tail, their cloaca is shifted further towards the tail end than the females. The belly armor of the males is also slightly arched (concave), which makes it easier for the males to hold on to the back armor of the females during reproduction. However, the sexual characteristics are very difficult to distinguish at a young age and also vary greatly with age. The carapace has an earth-brown to brown-gray basic color and is marked with red, yellow and black lines and spots depending on the subspecies and the individual. The turtles also wear these on their head, neck and extremities . The basic color of the skin ranges from the color of the armor to a brownish green and yellow.

Subspecies

Four subspecies of the great tortoise are described:

The subspecies can be distinguished by the drawing of the back armor ( carapace ), the belly armor ( plastron ) and the drawing around the eyes, mouth and nose.

Sonoran Magnificent Earth Tortoise

The back armor of the magnificent Sonoran tortoise ( Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima rogerbabouri ) is dark brown in color. The turtle is slightly wider and flatter than representatives of the subspecies 'manni' and 'incisa'. The black band on the belly armor takes up more than half of the area and is not sharply delimited.

Guerrero Magnificent Earth Tortoise

The nominotypical taxon of the great tortoise ( Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima pulcherrima ) has a brown-gray dorsal armor. Occasionally black spots or lines can be seen, usually there is a centrally arranged, weakly visible, different-colored spot (black, yellow, red) per sign .

Guatemala Magnificent Earth Tortoise

The Guatemalan Magnificent Earth Tortoise, sometimes also referred to as the Chiapas Magnificent Earth Tortoise, ( Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima incisa ) has a uniformly brown colored dorsal armor, possible lines and spots are hardly or not at all. The red-yellow-black color spectrum can still be seen on the armor edges. The black band on the belly armor is wider than on the sister from Costa Rica and not as sharply defined. Around the mouth and eyes, the red lines are surrounded by narrow, very fine black lines.

Costa Rican Magnificent Earth Tortoise

Costa Rican tortoise in the Zoo Aquarium Berlin
Compare 'incisa' (2 animals) with 'manni' (right)

The Costa Rican tortoise ( Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima manni ) has so-called ocells on its back shell . The term is borrowed from the world of insects and symbolically describes the circle-like, eye-shaped lines and points, usually with a black frame. There is a narrow black band in the middle of the belly armor (≤ 25 percent width of the plastron ). The mouth, eyes and throat are surrounded by red (less often yellow) lines. These, in turn, are framed by black lines, which are somewhat more pronounced than with the 'incisa'. The 'manni' is the most colorful representative of the four subspecies with the strongest markings and a true bird of paradise. Since the turtles are at home in many different vegetation zones from the USA to Costa Rica, there is also a variety of colors and shapes within the subspecies. In the case of the 'manni' and 'incisa' there are transitional forms of the two subspecies, particularly in the area around the large freshwater lakes in Nicaragua.

distribution and habitat

The great tortoises live in the southern USA (Arizona), individual states in Mexico (Sonora, Colima, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas), in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua up to northwestern Costa Rica. They always inhabit the part of the country facing the Pacific, often only on a strip not more than 50 km wide, near the coast inland.

The terrestrial tortoises are home to the (dry) forests, swamps and floodplains. They are also found in desert-like zones, but there preferably in the few wetter places. In the drier environment, the turtle likes to dig into the ground. This offers you protection against predators, against excessive temperatures and dehydration. Insects and worms that get in front of their mouths in this situation have no chance and are eaten. Turtles have leased slowness in this world, but in emergencies and when they eat, they can set an amazing speed.

From north to south

The magnificent terrarium turtle in private terrarium keeping

Two 'incisa' claiming the food, Zoo Aquarium Berlin, November 2006

The manni and the incisa have become popular animals for keeping in terrariums in recent years. These two subspecies are commonly found in pet stores. When buying, you should give preference to offspring, as these do not interfere with the game population and are better able to cope with the domestic keeping conditions.

The turtles eat almost everything that is found to be good with the nose, both green plants (salads, herbs, grasses), fruits and vegetables, as well as worms and insects. Potential food is smelled extensively and possibly for a long time. To do this, the turtle takes a seat in a secure position in front of the potential food and often moves its neck far out of the shell as close as possible to the food and back again. Turtles have excellent noses and good eyesight. Preference is given to dishes that are not too solid on the outside. In terrariums, earthworms and bananas are an absolute favorite. In captivity, if properly cared for, the animals can easily reach 12 years and older. In some zoos there are (d) specimens with an age of ≥ 21 years.

Of the four subspecies, the 'incisa' is the most water-loving. In a terrarium, it needs the largest possible water pot or, even better, a permanent part of water in the terrarium. Since the animals tend to carry soil into the water basin, a filter is not sufficient and daily water changes are essential. The 'incisa' feels particularly comfortable when it can submerge its entire tank in the water, while the 'manni' can also cope with a little less water depth.

literature

  • Maik Schilde: The magnificent terrapin. Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima. Natur-und-Tier-Verlag, Münster 2004, ISBN 3-937285-33-4 .
  • Holger Vetter: Turtles of the world. = Turtles of the world. Volume 2: North America. = North America. Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main 2004, ISBN 3-930612-57-7 .
  • Holger Vetter: Turtles of the world. = Turtles of the world. Volume 3: Central and South Africa. = Central and South America. Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main 2005, ISBN 3-930612-82-8 .
  • Marginata magazine 07/2005, ISSN  1613-0510 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima in The Reptile Database

Web links