The Mexican box turtle (''Terrapene mexicana'') is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
box turtle
Box turtle is the common name for several species of turtle. It may refer to those of the genus '' Cuora'' or '' Pyxidea'', which are the Asian box turtles, or more commonly to species of the genus '' Terrapene'', the North American box turtle ...
belonging to the family
Emydidae
Emydidae (Latin ''emys'' (freshwater tortoise) + Ancient Greek εἶδος (''eîdos'', “appearance, resemblance”)) is a family of testudines (turtles) that includes close to 50 species in 10 genera. Members of this family are commonly call ...
. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of ''
Terrapene carolina
The common box turtle (''Terrapene carolina'') is a species of box turtle with six existing subspecies. It is found throughout the Eastern United States and Mexico. The box turtle has a distinctive hinged lowered shell (the box) that allows ...
'' (''Terrapene carolina mexicana'').
[
]
Geographic range
This species is endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
. It is found in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
, Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
and San Luis Potosí.[iNaturalist]
/ref>
Habitat
It lives in areas with tropical climates within humid forests at shallow rainwater puddles.[Herpetomania]
/ref>
Description
''Terrapene mexicana'' can reach a length of about .[ 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.][
]
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
Image: Emydidae - Terrapene mexicana (Mexican Box Turtle) (2).jpg, ''Terrapene mexicana'' at the Zoo Atlanta
Image:Terrapene carolina mexicana.jpg, A Mexican box turtle on display in Gothenburg Natural History Museum
Image: CistudoMexicanaFord.jpg, Illustration from ''Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London'' 1848-1849
File:Terrapene mexicana, Mexican Box Turtle, Tamaulipas.jpg, 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.,
*Stone, Lynn M. ''Nature Watch: Box Turtles''. Lynn M. Stone, 2007.
References
External links
Box Turtles
Terrapene
Reptiles described in 1849
Taxa named by John Edward Gray
{{Turtle-stub