Mexican box turtle

The Mexican box turtle (Terrapene mexicana) is a species of box turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of Terrapene carolina (Terrapene carolina mexicana).^[3]

Mexican box turtle
Terrapene mexicana
Conservation status
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Emydidae
Genus:	Terrapene
Species:	T. mexicana
Binomial name
Terrapene mexicana (Gray, 1849)[2]
Synonyms[3][4]
List Cistudo (Onychotria) mexicana Gray, 1849 Onychotria mexicana LeConte, 1854 Cistudo carolina var. mexicana Boulenger, 1889 Onichotria mexicana Herrera, 1890 Chelopus mexicanus Velasco, 1892 Terrapene mexicana Baur, 1893 Terrapene goldmani Stejneger, 1933 Terrapene mexicana mexicana H. M. Smith & Taylor, 1950 Terrapene carolina mexicana Milstead, 1967 Terapene mexicana mexicana Nietzke, 1973

Geographic range

This species is endemic to Mexico. It is found in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí.^[2][5]

Habitat

It lives in areas with tropical climates within humid forests at shallow rainwater puddles.^[6]

Description

Terrapene mexicana can reach a length of about 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in).^[6] The carapace is long and dome-shaped, with rather variable color and markings. The adult males show gray-blue nuances on the head and red or orange nuances on the front legs.^[6]

Biology

The Mexican box turtle does not have much information on them because very few of them are domesticated (kept as pets). However, we do know that they have a lifespan of 100 years. Usually these turtles have water nearby homes and a bush to hide. Having a home by the water will attract insects, which are a big part of their diet.

Gallery

• 
  Terrapene mexicana at the Zoo Atlanta
• 
  A Mexican box turtle on display in Gothenburg Natural History Museum
• 
  Illustration from Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1848-1849
• 
  Mexican box turtle (Terrapene mexicana) in the field in southern Tamaulipas, Mexico

Bibliography

• Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley; Roger, Bour (2011-12-31). "Turtles of the world, 2011 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status". Chelonian Research Monographs. 5.
• Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57
• Dodd, C. Kenneth. North American Box Turtles a Natural History. University of Oklahoma Press, 2002.
• Milstead, William W., and Donald W. Tinkle. "Terrapene of Western Mexico, with Comments on the Species Groups in the Genus". Copeia, vol. 1967, no. 1, 1967, p. 180., doi:10.2307/1442193
• Stone, Lynn M. Nature Watch: Box Turtles. Lynn M. Stone, 2007.