Yellow-blotched map turtle

Yellow-blotched map turtle
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Family:	Emydidae
Subfamily:	Deirochelyinae
Genus:	Graptemys
Species:	G. flavimaculata
Binomial name
Graptemys flavimaculata Cagle, 1954
Synonyms
Graptemys oculifera flavimaculata Mertens & Wermuth, 1955 Malaclemys flavomaculata McDowell, 1964(ex errore) Malaclemys flavimaculata Cochran & Goin, 1970

The yellow-blotched map turtle (Graptemys flavimaculata), or yellow blotched sawback is a species of turtle in the Emydidae family. They are a part of the narrow headed group of map turtles. This species is listed as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act due to a recent decline. This can be attributed to a low reproductive frequency as compared with most other map turtles. A high level of nest mortality due to fish crow predation and river flooding are also attributed to endangerment. Unexpectedly high occurrences of nesting in shaded areas could possibly be attributed to human disturbances on and near sandbars, which raises mortality rates.

Range

Habitat

It is endemic to the United States. Its habitat is limited to the Pascagoula River of Mississippi and most of its tributaries (a range it shared with the Pascagoula map turtle), and suffers from pollution and agricultural changes to the water levels, affecting nesting beaches. "Turtle plinking" kills significant portions of this endangered turtle's population each year. Males have a mean home range area of 1.12 ha and a mean home range length of 1.8 km. Females have a mean home range area of 5.75 ha, due to nesting activities, and a mean home range length of 1.5 km.

Description

Yellow blotched map turtles are medium to small sized turtles, with males ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 inches in size as adults. Adult females are larger, about 5 to 7.5 inches long. The yellow blotched has the highest central keel of all map turtles.

Diet

Yellow blotched map turtles feed mostly on insects, but are opportunistic feeders so also consume crustaceans and fish.

References

• Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996. Graptemys flavimaculata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 29 July 2007.
• The World's Top 25 Most Endangered Turtles 2003.
• Reproductive and Nesting Ecology of the Yellow-Blotched Map Turtle, Graptemys flavimaculata: Implications for Conservation and Management. Horne et al. 2003. Copeia Volume 2003, Issue 4.
• Home range and seasonal movements of the turtle Graptemys flavimaculata. R. L. Jones, 1996. Journal of Herpetology, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 376–385.