Mexican musk turtle

Species of turtle

Mexican musk turtle
Staurotypus triporcatus
Conservation status

Near Threatened  (IUCN 2.3)
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Kinosternidae
Genus: Staurotypus
Species:
S. triporcatus
Binomial name
Staurotypus triporcatus
(Wiegmann, 1828)
Synonyms[2]
  • Terrapene triporcata
    Wiegmann, 1828
  • Staurotypus triporcatus
    — Wagler, 1830
  • Emys (Kinosternon) triporcata
    — Gray, 1831
  • Kinosternon triporcatum
    — Gray, 1831
  • Clemmys (Staurotypus) triporcata
    — Fitzinger, 1835
  • Claudius pictus
    Cope, 1872
  • Staurotipus triporcatus
    — Sumichrast, 1882
  • Staurotypus triporeatus
    Thatcher, 1963 (ex errore)
  • Clemmys (Staurotypus) triporcatus
    — H.M. Smith & R.B. Smith, 1980
  • Staurotipus triporcatus
    Ippi & Flores, 2001 (ex errore)

The Mexican musk turtle (Staurotypus triporcatus), also known commonly as the giant musk turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species occurs in Central America and Mexico.

Geographic range

S. triporcatus is found in Belize, northeastern Guatemala, western Honduras, and Mexico. In Mexico it is found in the Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz.[3]

Description

S. triporcatus is typically much larger than other species of Kinosternidae, attaining a straight carapace length of up to 36 cm (14 in), with males being significantly smaller than females. It is typically brown, black, or green in color, with a yellow underside. The carapace is distinguished by three distinct ridges, or keels, which run the length.[citation needed]

S. triporcatus exhibits XX/XY sex determination, in contrast to the temperature-dependent sex determination of most turtles.[4]

Diet

Like other musk turtle species, S. triporcatus is carnivorous, eating various types of aquatic invertebrates, as well as fish and carrion.[citation needed].

References

  1. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  2. ^ Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 261–262. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. ISSN 1864-5755.
  3. ^ "Staurotypus triporcatus ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  4. ^ Badenhorst, Daleen; Stanyon, Roscoe; Engstrom, Tag; Valenzuela, Nicole (2013-04-01). "A ZZ/ZW microchromosome system in the spiny softshell turtle, Apalone spinifera, reveals an intriguing sex chromosome conservation in Trionychidae". Chromosome Research. 21 (2): 137–147. doi:10.1007/s10577-013-9343-2. ISSN 1573-6849. PMID 23512312. S2CID 254379278.

External links

  • Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (1996). Staurotypus triporcatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 29 July 2007.

Further reading

  • Wiegmann AF (1828). "Beyträge zur Amphibienkunde ". Isis von Oken 21: 364–383. (Terrapene triiporcata, new species, pp. 364–365). (in German and Latin).
  • v
  • t
  • e
Genera
Species of the Kinosternidae family
ClaudiusHoplochelys
  • Hoplochelys clark
KinosternonSternotherusStaurotypus
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
Suborder
Superfamily
Family
Cryptodira
Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)
Cheloniidae
Dermochelyidae
 
Kinosternoidea
Dermatemydidae
Kinosternidae
Testudinoidea
Emydidae
Geoemydidae
 Platysternidae
Testudinidae
Trionychia
Carettochelyidae
Trionychidae
 
 
Chelydridae
Nanhsiungchelyidae
Protostegidae
 
Pleurodira
 
Araripemydidae
Bothremydidae
Chelidae
Pelomedusidae
Podocnemididae
Sahonachelyidae
 
 
 
  • Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.
Taxon identifiers
Staurotypus triporcatus


Stub icon

This article about a turtle is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

  • v
  • t
  • e