Red-headed Amazon River turtle

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Red-headed Amazon side-necked turtle
A butterfly feeding on the tears of a turtle in Ecuador.jpg
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Pleurodira
Family: Podocnemididae
Genus: Podocnemis
Species:
P. erythrocephala
Binomial name
Podocnemis erythrocephala
(Spix, 1824)

The red-headed Amazon side-necked turtle, [2] red-headed river turtle or red-headed sideneck (Podocnemis erythrocephala) is a species of turtle in the family Podocnemididae. It is found in the Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. [3]

Contents

Physical Features

With a size of less than 32 cm, and weighing usually less than 2.8 kg, the red-headed river turtle is considered a small one, making it easily distinguishable from other species in the area. [4] Identifying features of this turtle include colors ranging from dark brown to black, barbels under the chin, and a bright red strip that goes from behind its head to the tympanum [4] , which is the reason for its name, giving it the red-headed moniker.

Behaviors

Reproduction

Females will lay anywhere from 2-18 eggs about 4 times a year [5] , though on average will lay about 8 [6] . They will nest either on sandy beaches or near the riverside, but ideally prefer extremely dirty water [6] . Like many other turtles, they rely upon temperature-dependent sex determination [7] .

Diet

These turtles are herbivores, and prefer to eat fruits and seeds [5] . They serve an important ecological role because of this, since they serve as important carriers and a dispersal method for many plants and trees in their habitats [6] . Additionally, with all the plant matter they eat, they help clean the rivers of debris, and serve as nutrient cyclers.

Conservation

These turtles face some risk from humans, as they are hunted as adults and eggs for sale on the black market in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela, despite them being protected by law in all three countries [5] . Often, they are poached in or around their common nesting sites. Historically, they have also been consumed as a food source and natural resource for centuries [6] .

References

  1. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  2. ↑ Podocnemis erythrocephala, Reptile Database
  3. ↑ A.G.J.; Iverson, J.B.; Bour, R.; Fritz, U.; Georges, A.; Shaffer, H.B.; van Dijk, P.P. (2017). Rhodin, A.G.J.; Iverson, J.B.; van Dijk, P.P.; Saumure, R.A.; Buhlmann, K.A.; Pritchard, P.C.H.; Mittermeier, R.A. (eds.). "Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status". Chelonian Research Monographs. Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. 7 (8 ed.): 1–292. doi:10.3854/crm.7.checklist.atlas.v8.2017. ISBN   9781532350269.
  4. 1 2 Fantin, C.; Farias, I.P.; Monjel, L.A.S.; Hrbek, T. (2010). "Short Communication Polyandry in the red-headed river turtle Podocnemis erythrocephala (Testudines, Podocnemididae) in the Brazilian Amazon" (PDF). Genetics and Molecular Research. 9 (1): 435–440. doi:10.4238/vol9-1gmr749. PMID   20391328.
  5. 1 2 3 "Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group" . Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "WCS Brazil - Amazonian Turtles". brasil.wcs.org. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  7. ↑ Cornejo-Páramo, Paola; Lira-Noriega, Andrés; Ramírez-Suástegui, Ciro; Méndez-de-la-Cruz, Fausto R.; Székely, Tamás; Urrutia, Araxi O.; Cortez, Diego (2020-08-17). "Sex determination systems in reptiles are related to ambient temperature but not to the level of climatic fluctuation". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 20 (1): 103. Bibcode:2020BMCEE..20..103C. doi: 10.1186/s12862-020-01671-y . ISSN   1471-2148. PMC   7433102 . PMID   32807071.


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