Yellowbelly Mud Turtle
Pelusios castanoides
Summary 3
The yellow-bellied mud turtle (Pelusios castanoides) is a species of turtle in the family Pelomedusidae. It is found in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania.
Diagnosis 4
Pelusios castanoides is easily distinguished from other species of mud turtles by the plastral color pattern it exhibits, which is uniform yellow, or with a little black on the anterior peripheral sulci (as shown in the second picture). Another diagnostic for this species is the skin being yellow, and the outer surfaces of limbs yellow.[1] It is one of the two species of mud turtles in Madagascar.
Conservation 5
Efforts may be needed to conserve its wetland habitats and conduct research into biology, population numbers, and habitat status. It is listed in CITES Appendix II.[2]
Sources and Credits 5
- Broadley 1981 "A review of the genus pelusios Wagler in southern africa"
BATES, M.F., BRANCH, W.R., BAUER, A.M., BURGER, M., MARAIS, J., ALEXANDER, G.J. & DE VILLIERS, M.S. (eds). 2014 (reprint 2014). Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland.
Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Sources and Credits
- (c) seasav, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by seasav
- (c) Cédric de Foucault, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Cédric de Foucault
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/705952
- Adapted by calebcam from a work by (c) Caleb Cam, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/705952
- (c) Caleb Cam, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/705952
