Japanese pond turtle

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Japanese pond turtle
Mauremys japonica ishigame.jpg
Japanese pond turtle (Mauremys japonica)
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Geoemydidae
Genus: Mauremys
Species:
M. japonica
Binomial name
Mauremys japonica
(Temminck & Schlegel in Siebold, 1835 [3] )
Synonyms [4]
  • Emys vulgaris japonicaTemminck & Schlegel, 1835
  • Emys japonicaGray, 1844
  • Emys caspica var. japonicaDuméril & Bibron, 1852
  • Clemmys japonicaStrauch, 1862
  • Mauremys japonicaMcDowell, 1964
  • Ocadia japonicaVetter, 2006

The Japanese pond turtle (Mauremys japonica), also called commonly the Japanese pond terrapin and the Japanese pond tortoise, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae endemic to Japan. Its Japanese name is nihon ishigame, Japanese stone turtle. Its population has decreased somewhat due to habitat loss, but it is not yet considered a threatened species.

This species is known to hybridize with the Chinese pond turtle, the Chinese stripe-necked turtle, and the Chinese box turtle (and possibly other Geoemydidae) in captivity. As these three species are much rarer and strongly declining in the wild, this should be avoided. [5] [6]

The Japanese pond turtle is an aquatic species found in many freshwater bodies of water. These include rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, and irrigated rice paddies in the flatlands surrounding highlands. [7] Although they can be found on both flatlands and on the slopes of the mountains, studies have shown they are more likely to thrive on the flatlands. [8] This can be essential to understanding the conservation measures needed to protect this near-threatened species.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoemydidae</span> Family of turtles

The Geoemydidae are one of the largest and most diverse families in the order Testudines (turtles), with about 70 species. The family includes the Eurasian pond and river turtles and Neotropical wood turtles. Members of this family are commonly called Leaf turtle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forsten's tortoise</span> Species of tortoise

Forsten's tortoise, also known commonly as the Sulawesi tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to Sulawesi Island, Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldham's leaf turtle</span> Species of turtle

Oldham's leaf turtle is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assam roofed turtle</span> Species of turtle

The Assam roofed turtle or Sylhet roofed turtle is a turtle species of the family Geoemydidae found in the Brahmaputra-Meghna drainage in India (Assam) and parts of eastern Bangladesh. It was formerly placed in the genus Batagur and the defunct genus Kachuga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden coin turtle</span> Species of turtle

The golden coin turtle, also known commonly as the Chinese three-banded box turtle and the Chinese three-striped box turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. The species is native to southern China. There are two recognized subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnamese pond turtle</span> Species of turtle

The Vietnamese pond turtle or Annam leaf turtle is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Painted terrapin</span> Species of turtle

The painted terrapin, painted batagur, or saw-jawed turtle is a species of turtles in the family Geoemydidae. It was formerly in its own genus, Callagur, but has been reclassified to the genus, Batagur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-necked pond turtle</span> Species of turtle

The red-necked pond turtle is a species of turtles in the family Geoemydidae endemic to China. It is most likely restricted to Guangxi and Guangdong provinces, although pre-historic skull remains have been found in northern Vietnam and Hainan. Other common names include Kwangtung river turtle and black-necked pond turtle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese pond turtle</span> Species of turtle

Mauremys reevesii, commonly known as the Chinese pond turtle, the Chinese three-keeled pond turtle, or Reeves' turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae, a family which was formerly called Bataguridae. The species is native to East Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle</span> Species of turtle

The Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle or Ryukyu leaf turtle is a species of turtles in the family Geoemydidae endemic to the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. In 1975, the species was designated a National Natural Monument of Japan. It grows to about 5–6 inches long. In captivity, it feeds on worms, snails, insects, and fruit. Due to its rarity and very attractive appearance, this species is highly coveted by turtle collectors worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mekong snail-eating turtle</span> Species of turtle

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The Fujian pond turtle is a possibly also naturally occurring intergeneric hybrid turtle in the family Geoemydidae produced in larger numbers by Chinese turtle farms as a "copy" of the golden coin turtle Cuora trifasciata. It appears to occur in China and Vietnam. Before its actual origin became known, it was listed as data deficient in the IUCN Red List.

<i>Mauremys</i> Genus of turtles

Mauremys is a genus of turtles in the family Geoemydidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow pond turtle</span> Species of turtle

The yellow pond turtle, is a medium-sized, semiaquatic turtle in the family Geoemydidae. This species has a characteristic broad yellow stripe extending behind the eye and down the neck; the carapace ranges in color from grayish brown to brown, and the plastron is yellow or orange with black blotches along the outer edges. It is native to East Asia, ranging from central Vietnam and Laos, north through the coastal provinces of south and central China, with insular populations known from Taiwan, Hainan and the Ryukyu Islands. Although populations in the southern Ryukyus are thought to be native, populations in the northern and central Ryukyus, as well as central Japan, are believed to have been introduced as a result of imports from Taiwan.

Mauremys pritchardi is an interspecific hybrid turtle in the family Geoemydidae. M. pritchardi, described to be from Myanmar, has been found in the wild in China and Japan, and is produced to some extent in Chinese turtle farms. It was listed as data deficient in the IUCN Red List before its actual origin became known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese stripe-necked turtle</span> Species of turtle

The Chinese stripe-necked turtle or golden thread turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. They are widely distributed in the subtropical regions of Taiwan.

<i>Cyclemys</i> Genus of turtles

Cyclemys is a genus of freshwater turtles, commonly referred to as Asian leaf turtles, from the family Geoemydidae. The genus occurs throughout Southeast and South Asia, and currently contains seven species.

<i>Mesoclemmys</i> Genus of turtles

Mesoclemmys is a South American genus of turtle in the Chelidae family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spanish pond turtle</span> Species of turtle

The Iberian pond turtle, also known as the Mediterranean pond turtle or Mediterranean turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. The species is endemic to southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assam leaf turtle</span> Species of turtle

The Assam leaf turtle is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. The species is native to India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.

References

  1. Asian Turtle Trade Working Group (2016) [errata version of 2000 assessment]. "Mauremys japonica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2000: e.T39612A97370705. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T39612A10251032.en . Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. Temminck, C. J., and H. Schlegel. 1835. Reptilia. Chelonii. In: Ph. Fr. de Siebold, 1833-1838, Fauna Japonica. Leyden. 144 pp.
  4. Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 229. doi: 10.3897/vz.57.e30895 . ISSN   1864-5755.
  5. Buskirk, James R.; Parham, James F. & Feldman, Chris R. (2005). On the hybridisation between two distantly related Asian turtles (Testudines: Sacalia × Mauremys). Salamandra. 41: 21-26. PDF fulltext [ permanent dead link ]
  6. Suzuki, Dai; Yabe, Takashi; Hikida, Tsutomu (December 2013). "Hybridization between Mauremys japonica and Mauremys reevesii Inferred by Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Analyses". Journal of Herpetology. 48 (4): 445–454. doi:10.1670/11-320. ISSN   0022-1511. S2CID   86411251.
  7. "Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group" . Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  8. Kagayama, Shawichi (August 2020). "Geographic Variation in the Growth of Japanese Pond Turtles, Mauremys japonica, in the Flatland and Mountain Regions of Chiba Prefecture, Japan". Current Herpetology. 39 (2): 87–97. doi:10.5358/hsj.39.87. ISSN   1345-5834. S2CID   221348416.