(Platemys platycephala)
Familie: Australian-American Side-necked Turtles (Chelidae)
Orden: Turtles (Testudines)
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Twist-necked Turtle
(Platemys platycephala) Familie: Australian-American Side-necked Turtles (Chelidae) Orden: Turtles (Testudines) |
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Other names: Grooved Side-necked Turtle. Size: Up to 18 cm (shell length). Distribution: Northern South America (Bolivia, Brazil (Acre, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Para, Roraima), Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Surinam, Venezuela). Habitat: Shallow rainforest streams, pools, and marshes, but not larger rivers. Frequently found on the forest floor, often far from water, particularly during the rainy season. Food: In captivity the turtle eats worms, snails, slugs, insects, amphibians, fish, and some vegetation, presumably reflecting its natural diet. Reproduction: In Colombia, mating takes place during the rainy season, from late March to early December, in or out of water. The eggs are laid during the dry season, from August to February. These details may possibly vary within the range of the species. The female digs a shallow groove or just lays the eggs directly on the ground, covering them by decaying leaves, sand, or dirt. Usually only one egg is laid, although some sources report clutches of 2-6 eggs. The eggs measure 51-61 X 26-29 mm, the hatchlings 43-57 mm. Sexual differences: Males are slightly larger and have longer tails, with the vent extending beyond the hind rim of the carapace (back shell). Like many other turtles, the males also have a concave plastron (belly shell). Variation: Two different subspecies have been described (P. p. platycephala og P. p. melanonota). The latter is found in the upper Amazon basin in Ecuador and Peru. References: Bartlett, R.D. & Bartlett, P. 2003. Reptiles and amphibians of the Amazon. An ecotourist's guide. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. 291 pp. Duellman, W.E. 1978. The biology of an equatorial herpetofauna in Amazonian Ecuador. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication 65: 1-352. Duellman, W.E. 2005. Cusco Amazonica: the lives of amphibians and reptiles in an Amazonian rainforest. Cornell University Press, Ithaca. 433 pp. Ernst, C.H. & Barbour, R.W. 1989. Turtles of the world. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. & London. 313 pp. Henle, K. & Ehrl, A. 1991. Zur Reptilienfauna Perus nebst Beschreibung eines neuen Anolis (Iguanidae) und zweier neuer Schlangen (Colubridae). Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 42(2): 143-180. Hoogmoed, M.S. 1979. The herpetofauna of the Guianan region. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Monograph 7: 241-279. Iverson, J.B. 1992. A revised checklist with distribution maps of the turtles of the world. Richmond, Indiana. 363 pp. Miyata, K. 1982. A check list of the amphibians and reptiles of Ecuador with a bibliography of Ecuadorian herpetology. Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service 54: 1-70. Reynolds, R.; MacCulloch, R.; Tamessar, M.; Watson, C.; Cole, C.J. & Townsend, C. Preliminary Checklist of the Herpetofauna of Guyana. www.mnh.si.edu/biodiversity/bdg/guyherps.html. Vetter, H. 2005. Turtles of the world. Vol. 3. Central and South America. Chimaira, Frankfurt. 128 pp. Text & layout: Rune Midtgaard |
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