| East African black mud turtle | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Pleurodira |
| Family: | Pelomedusidae |
| Genus: | Pelusios |
| Species: | P. subniger |
| Binomial name | |
| Pelusios subniger (Lacépède, 1788) | |
The East African black mud turtle (Pelusios subniger), also known as the Pan terrapin, [3] is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae, native to eastern and southeastern Africa.
The East African black mud turtle has a smooth, domed carapace with a length of 5.1-7.9 in. The carapace is typically dark brown, gray, or black, often with yellow or dark markings on the margins. They are rather dull in color like most of their genus. The plastron is hinged. The underside of the turtle can be brown, grey, black, or yellow. The upper jaw has a blunt, smooth shape. The head of an adult is generally uniform in color. As in all side-necked turtles, the neck retracts the head sideways instead of vertically into the shell. [4] This species may be confused with the West African mud turtle.
Two subspecies are recognized: [5]
The species occurs in much of eastern and southeastern tropical and subtropical Africa, with a southern limit in Zimbabwe, and including Madagascar and the Seychelles (P. s. parietalis in the latter location). Nonindigenous populations exist on Mauritius Island, Guadeloupe, Glorieuses Îsles, and Diego Garcia. [6] It inhabits marshes, lakes and streams. [7]
The East African black mud turtle is omnivorous and takes fish, invertebrates, and plants. [7] It is known to reach an age of over fifty years in captivity and forty-seven years in the wild. Females lay nests of 3-12 eggs. They lay their eggs in the spring and bury them in mud. Eggs take about two months to hatch. Although the East Africa black mud turtle can be seen basking throughout the day, they are more active at night and are considered to be nocturnal. They have been observed to burrow into the mud to regulate their body temperature. [8]
The nominate subspecies is currently classified as least concern by the IUCN, [1] while the Seychelles subspecies is thought to be critically endangered. [2] [9]
The East African black mud turtle does well in captivity. It is a hearty, mid-sized turtle that does well in a twenty-gallon tank. They must be given room to swim and ideally a place to bask under a warm light as well. They can experience skin problems if the Ph of the water is not maintained between 6.0 and 6.5. As tropical species, a temperature of 78-82 degrees F should be maintained. [10] These turtles are easy to handle and are not aggressive towards humans but are highly aggressive towards other turtles, thus cannot be housed with other breeds of turtles and should be introduced slowly to conspecifics. They will attack and kill birds, mice, insects and nearly anything else they can get a hold of so if you house them outdoors screening over their habitat is a good consideration. Although these turtles rarely get sick, allowing birds and rodents into their habitat could also introduce disease. [11]
The eastern long-necked turtle is an east Australian species of snake-necked turtle that inhabits a wide variety of water bodies and is an opportunistic feeder. It is a side-necked turtle (Pleurodira), meaning that it bends its head sideways into its shell rather than pulling it directly back.
Macrochelys is a genus of very large freshwater turtles in the family Chelydridae, native to the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Only a single extant species was recognized until 2014, when a study divided it into two, or possibly three species. These turtles are easily recognized by three distinct dorsal ridges with raised spikes.
Pelusios is a genus of African side-necked turtles. With 17 described species, it is one of the most diverse genera of the turtle order (Testudines).
Nilssonia is a genus of softshell turtles from rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes in South Asia and Burma. In many treatments, it is monotypic, with the single species Burmese peacock softshell. However, the supposed other genus of peacock softshells, Aspideretes, is more closely related to N. formosa than had been believed. They differ only in the neural plates between the first pleural scale pair of the bony carapace, which are fused into one in N. formosa and unfused in the others.
The Chaco side-necked turtle or Chaco sideneck turtle is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. It is found in Argentina, Paraguay, and possibly Bolivia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. The turtle possesses long horny spurs on its upper thighs. It is 18 cm in shell length. Like other members of its genus, the turtle buries itself in the mud when the streams run dry, a behaviour possibly parallel to the winter hibernating behaviours of turtles further north.
The New Guinea snake-necked turtle is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is found almost exclusively within Western Province, Papua New Guinea.
Elseya is a genus of large side-necked turtles, commonly known as Australian snapping turtles, in the family Chelidae. Species in the genus Elseya are found in river systems in northern and northeastern Australia and throughout the river systems of New Guinea. They are identified by the presence of alveolar ridges on the triturating surfaces of the mouth and the presence of a complex bridge strut.
Pelusios broadleyi, commonly known as the Turkana mud turtle, Broadley's mud turtle, or the Lake Turkana hinged terrapin, is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. The species is native to eastern Africa.
The yellow-bellied mud turtle is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. It is found in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania.
Vanderhaege's toad-headed turtle is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to South America.
The Chaco tortoise, also known commonly as the Argentine tortoise, the Patagonian tortoise, or the southern wood tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to South America.
The West African mud turtle, also known as the West African side-necked turtle or swamp terrapin, is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. Pelusios castaneus is a freshwater species and is endemic to West and Central Africa.
Adanson's mud turtle is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. The species is endemic to north-central Africa.
The Okavango mud turtle or Okavango terrapin) is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae endemic to Africa. It is found in Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia (Caprivi), Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The Central African mud turtle is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. The species is endemic to Central Africa.
The Ivory Coast mud turtle is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. It is one of the most recently described turtle species.
The Pelusios cupulatta is typically found in riverine and wetland habitats mainly located in the southern Ivory Coast of West Africa. Endemic to the Upper Guinean forest region such as wetlands/rivers they are usually found primarily in forested banks as well as aquatic vegetation. Compared to other counterparts within its family, P. Cupulatta prefers an abundance of aquatic vegetation as its primary habitat. Despite this, Pelusios castaneus is a potential competitor due to similar habitats albeit different preferences regarding specific locations. Interspecific competition is able to regulate the coexistence of potential competitors but also niche expansion is available within the family when alone.
Comparative to other species at a local spatial level, Pelusios niger and Pelusios cupulatta both belong to larger size categories compared to others within the Pelusios records with the maximum male SCL being 31.3 and the maximum female SCL being 27.1. The two different turtle species are also allopatric, meaning that they are related but occur in separate non-overlapping geographical areas compared to the sympatric of P. castaneus. White P. castaneus intensely uses forested banks, P, and cupulatta aren't typically found in such areas as they aim for places with large amounts of aquatic vegetation. In presence of P. niger, P. cupulatta are usually found less than 10 km away showing how closely these two groups typically reside at roughly close locations.
Pelusios marani, also known as the Gabon mud turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. This species is endemic to Africa.
Williams' mud turtle is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. The species is endemic to Africa.
Elseya schultzei, commonly known as Schultze's snapping turtle, is a species of chelid turtle endemic to northern New Guinea.
Chelodina (Chelydera) kuchlingi, commonly known as Kuchling's long-necked turtle or Kuchling's turtle, is a species of freshwater turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
