Black-buttoned mute turtle

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Black-buttoned mute turtle
Black-buttoned mute turtle, Graptemys nigrinoda nigrinoda

Black- buttoned mute turtle, Graptemys nigrinoda nigrinoda

Systematics
Order : Turtles (Testudinata)
Subordination : Halsberger tortoises (Cryptodira)
Family : New World pond turtles (Emydidae)
Subfamily : Deirochelyinae
Genre : Mute Tortoises ( Graptemys )
Type : Black-buttoned mute turtle
Scientific name
Graptemys nigrinoda
Cagle , 1954
River system in Alabama, home to the black-buttoned mute turtle

The black- headed mute turtle ( Graptemys nigrinoda ) is a species of the mute turtle genus , which belongs to the New World pond turtle family, native to Alabama and small parts of Mississippi .

Appearance

The black-buttoned mute turtle is one of the smaller turtles. The females of this species are 10 to 19.1 centimeters in length, almost twice as large as the males, which reach a length of 7.5 to 10 centimeters. The black-buttoned mute turtle has a characteristically pronounced carapace : there is a “black button” on each vertebral shield, these are particularly pronounced on the second and third vertebral shields. These buttons are more prominent in the males than in the females. The carapace is green to brown covered with yellow rings or semicircles. The plastron is variable in color. Some specimens have small black patterns, others are mainly pigmented . The head of the black-buttoned mute turtle is narrow with yellow stripes. Two to four head strips converge towards the eye. The males very often have elongated front claws that play a role in courtship behavior.

Subspecies

There are two known subspecies of the black-buttoned mute turtle. The nominate form is the northern black- buttoned mute turtle ( Graptemys nigrinoda nigrinoda ). She has light skin and the plastron is yellow with black markings on each hem.

The southern black- buttoned mute turtle ( Graptemys nigrinoda delticola ) was described by Folkerts and Mount in 1969. It has a darker skin and the black patterns reach the plastron and cover it extensively.

distribution and habitat

The northern black-buttoned mute turtle lives in the Alabama River , Tombigbee, Coosa, Black Warrior, Tallapoosa, and Cahaba Rivers. Fast flowing waters with a sandy bottom are the animals' preferred habitats. The southern black-buttoned mute turtle lives only in the slow current rivers of Mobile Bay .

Way of life

The black-buttoned mute turtle can be seen sunbathing during the day. It sits on roots or branches that are surrounded by water, but riparian zones are also used when a flood makes it necessary. It shows great loyalty to its location and repeatedly uses the same sunny spots under which it often hides at night. The black-buttoned mute turtles only leave the rivers to lay eggs. They are very shy and show no attempts to bite.

nutrition

The black-buttoned mute turtles are omnivorous . Males mainly eat aquatic insects , but terrestrial insects are also not spurned if they fall into the water. The females, on the other hand, also eat vegetable food. Both snails and freshwater mussels are on the menu.

In the southern Black Button Map turtles has been observed that they barnacles eat. This is an indication that the animals live on the border with the salt water area in Mobile Bay .

Enemies

Raccoons and herons are among the most dangerous enemies for clutches in the wild. Otters and waders are a threat to young animals and hatchlings. Occasionally, adult animals fall victim to alligators .

literature

  • FR Cagle: Two new species of the genus Graptemys. Tulane Stud. Zool., 1, pp. 167-186, 1054 (first description)
  • Carl H. Ernst, Jeffrey E. Lovich: Turtles of the United States and Canada . Johns Hopkins University Press , Baltimore 2009, pp. 364-399, ISBN 0-8018-9121-3
  • Kurt Buhlmann, Tracey Tuberville, J. Whitfield Gibbons: Turtles of the Southeast . University of Georgia Press, Athens 2008, ISBN 0-8203-2902-9

Web links

Commons : Black-buttoned Mute Turtle  - Collection of images, videos and audio files