Coahuilan box turtle

Coahuilan box turtle
Coahuilan box turtle (Terrapene coahuila) at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Family:	Emydidae
Genus:	Terrapene
Species:	T. coahuila
Binomial name
Terrapene coahuila Schmidt & Owens, 1944
Synonyms[1]
Terrapene coahuila Schmidt & Owens, 1944 Terrapene ornata coahuila — Mertens & Wermuth, 1955 Terrapene coahuilae Milstead, 1960 (ex errore) Terrapene coahulia Milstead, 1969 (ex errore) Terapene coahuila — Nietzke, 1973 Terrepene coahuila — Morafka, 1977 Terrepene coahuilae — Morafka, 1977 Terrapene cohauila Ferri, 2002 (ex errore)

The Coahuilan box turtle (Terrapene coahuila), or aquatic box turtle, is an endangered species of turtle in the Emydidae family. Unlike the other members of the genus Terrapene, this turtle spends roughly 90% of its time in water.^[2]

It is a close relative to the common box turtle (T. carolina). Researchers have therefore suggested that it developed from a nonaquatic species in order to survive in the desert springs of Cuatro Ciénegas.^[2]

Geographic range

It is endemic to the vicinity of Cuatro Ciénegas in Coahuila, Mexico.^[3] Within an area of less than 800 km² (300 sq mi), there are several distinct pockets of this species. During the rainy season, Coahuilan box turtles may leave their home range and travel throughout the desert.^[2]

Habitat

It is associated with marshes and springs, and is the only aquatic species within its genus.^[2] It is typically encountered among tall grass and brush in marshy areas, and prefers shallow water with dense vegetation (such as Chara spp., Eleocharis rostellata, and Scirpus olneyi ) and a muddy bottom.^[3] By digging down into the mud, the turtle can cool itself.

Description

The body is adapted for spending long periods of time in the water, and the shell is often covered in algae. Just like any other box turtle, it has a hinged shell that can be completely closed. The skin is dark, usually dark brown and dark gray, but some areas can appear completely black.^[2]

Diet

This is an opportunistic feeder that will devour both plants and other animals. It will for instance eat fly larvae, dragonfly nymphs, beetles, true bugs, reptiles, fish, crayfish, and plant matter (such as Eleocharis spp.) in the wild.^[3]

Reproduction

Mating takes place in shallow water from September to June, and eggs are laid from May to September. The eggs are laid in small clutches, typically consisting of just 2-3 eggs per clutch.^[2]

References

Further reading

• Schmidt KP, Owens DW. (1944). Amphibians and Reptiles of Northern Coahuila, Mexico. Zool. Ser. Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 29 (6): 97-115. ("Terrapene coahuila sp. nov.", pp. 101–103.)
• Howeth JG, McGaugh SE, Hendrickson DA. (2008). Contrasting demographic and genetic estimates of dispersal in the endangered Coahuilan box turtle: a contemporary approach to conservation. Molecular Ecology 17: 4209–4221.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Terrapene coahuila (Coahuilan box turtle).

• Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. (1996). Terrapene coahuila. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 29 July 2007.
• Coahuilan Box Turtle at Boxturtles.com Downloaded on 28 July 2013.
• Desert Fishes Council Cuatrociénegas conservation foundation. Downloaded on 28 July 2013.
• Coahuilan box turtle slide show at the University of Texas in Austin. Downloaded on 28 July 2013.

Family Emydidae (pond turtles)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Suborder: Cryptodira Superfamily: Testudinoidea Family: Emydidae
Genus	Species of the subfamily Deirochelyinae
Chrysemys	Painted turtle
Deirochelys	Chicken turtle
Graptemys	Alabama map turtle Barbour's map turtle Black-knobbed map turtle Cagle's map turtle Escambia map turtle False map turtle Northern map turtle Ouachita map turtle Pascagoula map turtle Pearl River map turtle Ringed map turtle Texas map turtle Yellow-blotched map turtle
Malaclemys	Diamondback terrapin
Pseudemys	Alabama red-bellied cooter Northern red-bellied cooter Florida red-bellied cooter Peninsula cooter Rio Grande cooter River cooter Texas river cooter
Trachemys	Big Bend slider Baja California slider Central Antillean slider Colombian slider Cuatro Cienegas slider Cuban slider D'Orbigny's slider Hispaniolan slider Jamaican slider Maranhão slider Meso-American slider Nicaraguan slider Ornate slider Pond slider Yaqui slider
	Species of the subfamily Emydinae
Clemmys	Spotted turtle
Emys	Blanding's turtle European pond turtle Sicilian pond turtle Western pond turtle
Glyptemys	Bog turtle Wood turtle
Terrapene	Coahuilan box turtle Common box turtle Ornate box turtle Spotted box turtle
Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2011 update: annotated checklist. Subspecies and the extinct (Gyremys sectabilis) are not included.