The spotted pond turtle is a medium-sized turtle species with only a small amount of distribution in China. I believe that in real life, there are many friends who don’t know much about them. It doesn’t matter. Next, let the editor give you a detailed popular science!

I. Basic information

Chinese name: Spotted pond turtle

Latin name: Geoclemys hamiltonii

Alternative name: Hamilton's Turtles, black pond turtles

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordate

Subphylum: Vertebrate subphylum

Class : Reptiles

Subclass: Turtles

Named and dated: Gray, 1831

II. Appearance characteristics

1. The carapace of the spotted pond turtle is oblong, black in color, and covered with irregular yellow and white spots, while the spots on the edge are more and clear; There are three protruding ridges in the center of the nail, the middle one is more obvious.

2. The limbs of the spotted pond turtle are flat and round, gray-brown, covered with relatively small spots; its fingers and toes are webbed, the front limbs have 5 claws, and the hind limbs have 4 claws .

Three, male and female differences

The male spotted pond turtle is smaller in size, the center of the abdomen is slightly concave inward, the tail is thick and long, and the cloaca is far from the abdomen. The rear edge of the carapace is farther away; the female spotted pond turtle is larger in size, with a flatter abdomen, a slender tail, and the cloaca is closer to the rear edge of the plastron.

IV. Distribution range

The spotted pond turtle is mainly distributed in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and other places.

V. Habits

1. The spotted pond turtle mainly inhabits swamps, streams and rivers.

2. When the temperature is above 18 degrees Celsius, the spotted pond turtle can eat normally; when the temperature is lower than 15 degrees Celsius, the spotted pond turtle will stop eating and move less; when the temperature is lower than 10 degrees Celsius The spotted pond turtle will go into hibernation.

3. Spotted pond turtles are omnivorous turtles, mainly feeding on fish, shrimps, earthworms and tadpoles, and occasionally they will eat some fruits.

Six. Reproduction

At normal temperature, it takes 5 years for the spotted pond turtle to reach sexual maturity; its reproduction method is oviparous, and the annual April-June is the egg-laying period for female turtles.

The spotted pond turtle can lay eggs 1-2 times a year, and each time can lay 5-20 eggs. Each egg is oblong and white in color. The incubation period is about 70 days.

VII. Status of the race

Due to the pollution of the environment and the destruction of the habitat, the number of spotted pond turtles has been greatly reduced, and has now been included in several protection lists , as follows:

1. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2018 ver 3.1) - Endangered (EN).

2. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) - Appendix I.

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