Barbour's map turtle

Barbour's map turtle
Graptemys barbouri, hatchling
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
Subfamily: Deirochelyinae
Genus: Graptemys
Species: G. barbouri
Binomial name
Graptemys barbouri
Carr & Marchand, 1942[2]
Range map
Synonyms
  • Graptemys barbouri
    Carr & Marchand, 1942
  • Malaclemys barbouri
    McDowell, 1964[2]
  • Graptemys barbouri
    Conant, 1975[3]

Barbour's map turtle (Graptemys barbouri ) is a species of turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States.

Geographic range

G. barbouri is found in rivers located in southeastern Alabama, the western panhandle of Florida, and southwestern Georgia.[3]

Etymology

The specific name or epithet, barbouri, is in honor of American herpetologist Thomas Barbour.[4][5]

Ownership

Owning Barbour's map turtles is illegal in Georgia, Michigan, and Alabama. The limit is two turtles per person in Florida. Like all map turtles, they are under the protection of the Salmonellosis Four-inch Regulation, disallowing these turtles to be sold if they are under the length of 4 in (10 cm).

Description

Male Barbour's map turtles are on average 3.5 to 5.5 in (9–14 cm) in carapace length. Females can vary from 6 to 12.5 in (15 – 32 cm) in carapace length. "Females attain really imposing dimensions, and their heads are enormously enlarged".[3] These turtles possess black-tipped spines on the second, third, and fourth vertebral scutes. These spines are very noticeable in males, and resemble a dorsal fin.

Diet

Barbour's map turtles mainly consume mollusks, insects, and small fish found in rivers.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Graptemys barbouri.

References

  1. van Dijk, P.P. (2010). "Graptemys barbouri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  2. 1 2 Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology 57 (2): 186. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-17.
  3. 1 2 3 Conant, Roger. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + 48 plates. ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Graptemys barbouri, p. 55 + Plates 5, 8 + Map 18).
  4. Beltz, Ellin. 2006. Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained. ebeltz.net/herps/biogappx.html.
  5. Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins; Michael Grayson. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Graptemys barbouri, p. 16).

Further reading

External links


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