Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

Vietnamese pond turtle

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Kingdom
  
Suborder
  
Family
  
Scientific name
  
Mauremys annamensis

Higher classification
  
Mauremys

Order
  
Testudines

Superfamily
  
Subfamily
  
Geoemydinae

Phylum
  
Chordata

Rank
  
Species


Similar
  
Turtle, Mauremys, Golden coin turtle, Red‑necked pond turtle, Chinese box turtle

Nordens ark 2012 vietnamese pond turtle mauremys annamensis


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

Vietnamese pond turtle Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group

It can be distinguished from its relatives by its color pattern: the head is dark with three or four yellow stripes down the side. The plastron (belly shield) is firmly attached, yellow or orange, with a black blotch on each scute.

Vietnamese pond turtle Vietnamese Pond Turtle Mauremys annamensis refound in wild by

Endemic to a small area in central Vietnam, it was reportedly abundant in the 1930s, but all field surveys after 1941 had failed to locate any individuals in the wild. As it was occasionally seen traded as food, it was not yet extinct in the wild however.

Vietnamese pond turtle Mauremys come home 2006

In 2006, a wild population of M. annamensis was found near Hội An in Quảng Nam Province. Despite its rarity, specimens have been observed for sale in China and Hong Kong, and have been illicitly imported into the USA. A small number are being captive-bred on Hainan Island in southern China, as well as at the Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation Center located in Cúc Phương National Park in northern Vietnam. The species is nonetheless close to extinction in the wild, as illegal hunting seems to continue.

Vietnamese pond turtle httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Hybridization with other Geoemydidae genera is known to occur. The species has produced hybrids with the Malayan Box Turtle in captivity. In addition, the supposed new species Ocadia glyphistoma has turned out to be the offspring of a male Chinese stripe-necked turtle and a female of the present species; it might have been taken from the wild or also have been captive-bred. Captive Vietnamese pond turtles - which are occasionally available to experienced hobbyists, under the auspices of the IUCN-coordinated captive-breeding program - must therefore never be housed with related species. Hybridization in the wild would not seem to constitute a major threat, as the two parent species of "Ocadia" × glyphistoma are not closely related, and the hybrids are thus likely to be sterile. However, with a species as rare as the Vietnamese pond turtle, more research into this issue is certainly necessary.

Vietnamese pond turtle FileVietnamese Pond Turtle Mauremys annamensis Adam G Sternjpg
Vietnamese pond turtle The Online Zoo Vietnamese Pond Turtle

References

Vietnamese pond turtle Wikipedia