Plymouth red-bellied turtle

Population of red-bellied turtle

Plymouth red-bellied turtle
Plymouth red-bellied turtle on Long Pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts
Plymouth red-bellied turtle on Long Pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts
Conservation status
Imperiled (NatureServe)^[1]
Endangered (ESA)^[2]^[3]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Emydidae
Genus:	Pseudemys
Species:	P. rubriventris
Population:	Plymouth red-bellied turtle
Synonyms ^[4]
Pseudemys rubriventris subsp. bangsi Babcock, 1937

The Plymouth red-bellied turtle, sometimes called the Plymouth red-bellied cooter, is a disjunct population of northern red-bellied cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris) endemic to Massachusetts.

Taxonomy

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Plymouth red-bellied turtles are currently not considered a full subspecies (described^[5] as Pseudemys rubriventris bangsi), but instead as a population, and that they belong in synonymy under Pseudemys rubriventris or the northern red-bellied cooter.^[6] Nevertheless, it is well recognized that the Plymouth red-bellied turtle extends the range of the northern red-bellied cooter by 30–40 percent.^[7]

Description

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This turtle gets its name from its reddish plastron or undershell. They have flattened or slightly concave vertebral scutes with a red bar on each marginal scute. Their upper shell or carapace ranges from brown to black. An arrow-shaped stripe runs atop head, between the eyes, to their snout. Adults are 10–12.5 inches (25–32 cm).^[8] Males have elongated, straight claws on the front feet.^[9]

Distribution and habitat

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This species lives in the Plymouth Pinelands of Massachusetts. It spends most of its time in bodies of deep, quickly moving freshwater with muddy bottoms and large amounts of vegetation. It can be found in lakes, ponds, creeks, rivers, streams, and marshes.^[8] It was endemic to Plymouth County, Massachusetts before the state began trying to establish populations in other areas. The population was reduced to 200–300 turtles by the 1980s. By 2007, there were estimated to be 400–600 breeding age turtles across 20 ponds, and 2011 within 17 ponds.^[10]

Ecology and behavior

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The Plymouth red-bellied turtle often suns itself upon rocks in order to maintain its body temperature; however, if it is frightened while doing so, it will go back into the water. During the wintertime, this turtle hibernates in the mud at the bottoms of rivers.^[8]

Predators

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Eggs and young turtles are hunted by skunks, raccoons, birds, and fish.^[11]

Life cycle

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In spring and summer, the females nest in sand while the males look for food. Females lay 5–17 eggs at a time. The incubation of the eggs takes 73 to 80 days, and the eggs hatch at around 25 °C (77 °F). Hatchlings are about 32 millimetres (1.3 in) long. Their natural lifespan is 40 to 55 years.^[8]

Conservation

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The Plymouth red-bellied turtle is endangered due to overhunting by its natural predator, the striped skunk, and pollution from herbicides dumped into streams and ponds. Loss of habitat, as a result of filling in ponds to create houses is also a major issue.^[7] In 1983, Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge was established to help conserve the Plymouth red-bellied turtle. It was the first freshwater turtle in the US to be listed as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.^[7]^[2]

References

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^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Plymouth Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris bangsi)". Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1980). "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing as Endangered With Critical Habitat for the Plymouth Red-Bellied Turtle In Massachusetts". Federal Register. 45 (65): 21828–21833. 45 FR 21828
^ "Pseudemys rubriventris subsp. bangsi Babcock, 1937". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ Babcock, H.L. (14 July 1937). "A New Subspecies of the Red-Bellied Terrapin Pseudemys rubriventris (Le Conte)". Occasional Papers of the Boston Society of Natural History. 8: 293–294.
^ "Pseudemys rubriventris bangsi". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
^ ^a ^b ^c "5 Year Review of pseudemys rubiventris northern red-bellied cooter" (PDF). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. May 3, 2007. p. 30. Retrieved January 6, 2010. Retain as endangered but amend listing to identify Plymouth County, Massachusetts population as a distinct population segment.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Red-bellied Cooter | Chesapeake Bay Program". www.chesapeakebay.net. Retrieved 2020年06月26日.
^ "Species Profile: Plymouth Red-Bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris bangsi)". United States Fish and Wildlife Service (public domain). Retrieved January 6, 2010.
^ Kiester, A. Ross; Olson, Deanna H. (2011). "Prime time for turtle conservation". Herpetological Review. 42 (2): 198–204.
^ "See a different endangered animal in every U.S. state". Animals. 2019年07月30日. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. Retrieved 2019年09月29日.

External links

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Graham, T.E. Summary report to Mass. Department of Fish and Wildlife, December 31, 1984.

v t e Emydidae family
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Suborder: Cryptodira Superfamily: Testudinoidea Family: Emydidae
Genera	Species of the Emydidae family	[画像:Northern red-bellied cooter(Pseudemys rubriventris)]
Chrysemys	Painted turtle
Clemmys	Spotted turtle
Deirochelys	Chicken turtle
Actinemys	Western pond turtle Southwestern pond turtle
Emys	European pond turtle Sicilian pond turtle
Emydoidea	Blanding's turtle
Glyptemys	Bog turtle Wood turtle
Graptemys	Alabama map turtle Barbour's map turtle Black-knobbed map turtle Cagle's map turtle Escambia map turtle False map turtle Mississippi map turtle Northern map turtle Ouachita map turtle Pascagoula map turtle Pearl River map turtle Ringed map turtle Texas map turtle Yellow-blotched map turtle
Malaclemys	Diamondback terrapin
Pseudemys	Alabama red-bellied cooter Northern red-bellied cooter Florida red-bellied cooter Peninsula cooter Rio Grande cooter River cooter (subspecies Eastern river cooter Coastal plain cooter Suwannee cooter) Texas river cooter
Terrapene	Coahuilan box turtle Common box turtle Ornate box turtle Spotted box turtle
Trachemys	Atrato slider Big Bend slider Baja California slider Central Antillean slider Colombian slider Cuatro Cienegas slider Cuban slider D'Orbigny's slider Hispaniolan slider Jamaican slider Maranhão slider Meso-American slider Nicaraguan slider Ornate slider Pond slider Yaqui slider
†Wilburemys	†Wilburemys yakimensis
Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Key: †=extinct.

v
t
e

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Suborder

Superfamily

Family	Genus

Cryptodira

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

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