Mexican box turtle

Mexican box turtle
Terrapene mexicana at Zoo Atlanta
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Emydidae
Genus: Terrapene
Species:
T. mexicana
Binomial name
Terrapene mexicana
(Gray, 1849)[2]
Synonyms[3][4]
List
  • Cistudo (Onychotria) mexicana Gray, 1849
  • Onychotria mexicana LeConte, 1854
  • Cistudo carolina var. mexicana Boulenger, 1889
  • Onichotria mexicana Herrera, 1890
  • Chelopus mexicanus Velasco, 1892
  • Terrapene mexicana Baur, 1893
  • Terrapene goldmani Stejneger, 1933
  • Terrapene mexicana mexicana H. M. Smith & Taylor, 1950
  • Terrapene carolina mexicana Milstead, 1967
  • Terapene mexicana mexicana Nietzke, 1973

The Mexican box turtle (Terrapene mexicana) is a species of box turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of Terrapene carolina (Terrapene carolina mexicana).[3]

Geographic range

This species is endemic to Mexico. It is found in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí.[2][5]

Habitat

It lives in areas with tropical climates within humid forests at shallow rainwater puddles.[6]

Description

Terrapene mexicana can reach a length of about 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in).[6] The carapace is long and dome-shaped, with rather variable color and markings. The adult males show gray-blue nuances on the head and red or orange nuances on the front legs.[6]

Biology

The Mexican box turtle does not have much information on them because very few of them are domesticated (kept as pets). However, we do know that they have a lifespan of 100 years. Usually these turtles have water nearby homes and a bush to hide. Having a home by the water will attract insects, which are a big part of their diet.

  • Terrapene mexicana at the Zoo Atlanta
    Terrapene mexicana at the Zoo Atlanta
  • A Mexican box turtle on display in Gothenburg Natural History Museum
    A Mexican box turtle on display in Gothenburg Natural History Museum
  • Illustration from Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1848-1849
    Illustration from Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1848-1849
  • Mexican box turtle (Terrapene mexicana) in the field in southern Tamaulipas, Mexico
    Mexican box turtle (Terrapene mexicana) in the field in southern Tamaulipas, Mexico
Bibliography
  • Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley; Roger, Bour (2011-12-31). "Turtles of the world, 2011 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status". Chelonian Research Monographs. 5.
  • Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57
  • Dodd, C. Kenneth. North American Box Turtles a Natural History. University of Oklahoma Press, 2002.
  • Milstead, William W., and Donald W. Tinkle. "Terrapene of Western Mexico, with Comments on the Species Groups in the Genus". Copeia, vol. 1967, no. 1, 1967, p. 180., doi:10.2307/1442193
  • Stone, Lynn M. Nature Watch: Box Turtles. Lynn M. Stone, 2007.

References

Wikispecies has information related to Mexican box turtle.
  1. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  2. ^ a b Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley; Roger, Bour (2011-12-31). Turtles of the world, 2011 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status Chelonian Research Monographs. N. 5
  3. ^ a b Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World"
  4. ^ The Reptile Database
  5. ^ iNaturalist
  6. ^ a b c Herpetomania(in Italian)
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