Yellow pond turtle

Yellow pond turtle
Stuffed specimen of Mauremys mutica kami, exhibited in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan.
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Subfamily:	Geoemydinae
Genus:	Mauremys
Species:	M. mutica
Binomial name
Mauremys mutica (Cantor, 1842)
Synonyms[1]
Mauremys mutica mutica Emys muticus Cantor, 1842 Emys mutica Gray, 1844 Clemmys mutica Boettger, 1888 Damonia mutica Boulenger, 1889 Clemmys schmackeri Boettger, 1894 Geoclemys mutica Siebenrock, 1909 Cathaiemys mutica Lindholm, 1931 Annamemys grochovskiae Tien, 1957 Annamemys groeliovskiae Battersby, 1960 (ex errore) Mauremys mutica McDowell, 1964 Mauremys muica Zhou & Zhou, 1991 (ex errore) Mauremys grochovskiae Iverson & McCord, 1994 Mauremys mutica mutica Yasukawa, Ota & Iverson, 1996 Cathaiemys mutica mutica Vetter, 2006 Mauremys mutica kami Mauremys mutica kami Yasukawa, Ota & Iverson, 1996 Mauremys mutica karni Ferri, 2002 (ex errore) Cathaiemys mutica kami Vetter, 2006

The yellow pond turtle (Mauremys mutica), is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae (formerly Bataguridae) found in China (Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan etc.), Japan (introduced widely, and naturally in the Ryukyu archipelago), Taiwan, and northern and central Vietnam, and possibly adjacent Laos.

It is a parent of several hybrid Asian pond turtles that were described as new species. "Fujian pond turtles" ("Mauremys" iversoni) are hybrid specimens mainly produced in Chinese turtle farms, but possibly occasionally occurring in the wild as well, usually from matings between female Asian yellow pond turtles and golden coin turtles (Cuora trifasciata) males. The supposed "Mauremys" pritchardi turtles are wild and captive-bred hybrids between the present species and the Chinese pond turtle (Chinemys reevesi).^[2]

One subspecies is currently recognized:

• Mauremys mutica kami (Yasukawa et al. 1996) – Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan.

Recent genetic studies^[3] have shown that further subspecies might exist, especially in Vietnam and on Hainan.

These turtles are being threatened by unsustainable hunting for food and as pets; they are regularly available in Asian markets. Also, they are killed for use in folk medicine.^[4] The IUCN considers M. mutica an endangered species.^[5]

Notes

References

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Mauremys mutica

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mauremys mutica.

• http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/field_guide/field_guide_intro.htm

Turtle family Geoemydidae Genus Species of the family Geoemydidae Batagur Burmese roofed turtle Northern river terrapin Painted terrapin Red-crowned roofed turtle Southern river terrapin Three-striped roofed turtle Cuora Amboina box turtle Bourret's box turtle Indochinese box turtle McCord's box turtle Keeled box turtle Pan's box turtle Southern Vietnamese box turtle Chinese three-striped box turtle Yellow-headed box turtle Yellow-margined box turtle Yunnan box turtle Zhou's box turtle Cyclemys Asian leaf turtle Assam leaf turtle Eastern black-bridged leaf turtle Enigmatic leaf turtle Myanmar brown leaf turtle Oldham's leaf turtle Western black-bridged leaf turtle Geoclemys Black pond turtle Geoemyda Black-breasted leaf turtle Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle Hardella Brahminy river turtle Heosemys Arakan forest turtle Giant Asian pond turtle Spiny turtle Yellow-headed temple turtle Leucocephalon Sulawesi forest turtle Malayemys Malayan snail-eating turtle Mekong snail-eating turtle Mauremys Balkan pond turtle Caspian turtle Chinese pond turtle Chinese stripe-necked turtle Japanese pond turtle Red-necked pond turtle Spanish pond turtle Vietnamese pond turtle Yellow pond turtle Melanochelys Indian black turtle Tricarinate hill turtle Morenia Burmese eyed turtle Indian eyed turtle Notochelys Malayan flat-shelled turtle Orlitia Malaysian giant turtle Pangshura Assam roofed turtle Brown roofed turtle Indian roofed turtle Indian tent turtle Rhinoclemmys Black river turtle Brown wood turtle Colombian wood turtle Furrowed wood turtle Large-nosed wood turtle Maracaibo wood turtle Mexican spotted wood turtle Painted wood turtle Spot-legged turtle Sacalia Beal's eyed turtle Four-eyed turtle Siebenrockiella Black marsh turtle Philippine forest turtle Vijayachelys Cane turtle Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2011 update: annotated checklist.