The Brazilian turtle, formerly known as the red-eared turtle (scientific name: Trachemys scripta elegans), also known as the North American Mississippi red-eared turtle, red-eared painted turtle, red-eared mud turtle, is one of the subspecies of the painted turtle genus, is an aquatic turtle. Although the red-eared turtle is also known as the Brazilian turtle, its origin is not located in Brazil, but lives in the Mississippi and Rio Grande River basins in North America. It has been used as pets by many families to breed or ornamental pets. The yellow-bellied painted turtle and the Cumberland painted turtle are closely related to the same species.
Scientific classification
Animalia
Phylum: Chordata, phylum Chordates
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Emydidae
Genus: Painted turtle genus Trachemys
Species: Painted turtle T. scripta
Subspecies: Red-eared turtle T. s. elegans
Distribution range
Native to the Mississippi River and Rio Grande River systems in the United States and Mexico, this species has been introduced to the world with the pet trade, and now includes Europe, Central America, South America, North Asia, South Asia, Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, Canada, Hawaii, South Africa and other non-native wild populations.
morphology
Tortoise shells can reach up to 40 cm (16 in) long and are generally between 15–20 cm (6–8 in). The adult body is oblong-oval, with a gently raised dorsal carapace with a distinct ridge and a serrated posterior margin. The head is broad, the snout is blunt, the head and neck have yellow-green longitudinal stripes, and there is a long red patch on each side behind the eyes. The side of the head and neck and ventral surface are sandwiched with yellow-green linear stripes. The eyes are medium-sized and the neck is short and thick. The whole body is diverse and colorful, with emerald green dorsal armor and yellow-green inlaid ring-like markings on each shield; The ventral armor is flat, pale yellow, with a regular arrangement of black rings resembling copper coins. The limbs are stubby and short, with well-developed webbing between the toes. 5 claws on the forelimbs and 4 claws on the hind limbs. The tail is moderate.
The color of the turtle seedling period is bright and eye-catching, and the whole body is covered with yellow-green inlays, stripes and patterns of uneven thickness, and the color and pattern gradually fade as the individual grows. Males are small, with a long trunk, longer claws on the forelimbs, thicker tail base, and cloaca farther from the posterior edge of the ventral carapace; Females are large , with a short and thick trunk , short claws on the forelimbs , a thin and short tail , and cloaca foramen that is closer to the posterior edge of the ventral carapace. Females are generally larger. They live between 20 and 30 years, with some living to be over 40 years old, but red-eared turtles in captivity have a shorter lifespan than individuals in the wild. It has distinct red stripes on the sides of its head, which may darken with age.
How to tell the difference between male and female?
Male and female identification: female turtle shell is short and broad, ventral armor is flat and has no depression in the center, the tail is thin and short, the base of the tail is thin, the cloaca hole is closer to the posterior edge of the abdominal armor, and the two shields of the abdominal armor form a shallow indentation and a larger angle of indentation. The male turtle carapace is long and narrow, the center of the ventral carapace is slightly inverted, the tail is thick and long, the base of the tail is thick, the cloaca foramen is farther from the posterior edge of the ventral carapace, and the two shields of the ventral carapace form a deeper indentation and a smaller angle of indentation. For most adult turtles of the same year, the male turtle body is thin and small, and the female turtle body is thick and large.
Life habits
It lives widely in rivers, lakes and wetlands. Love sunbathing, on rocks on the water and drifting wood. It reacts sensitively to water sounds and vibrations, and when frightened, it quickly escapes into the water.
Suitable temperature
The optimal temperature is 20-32 ° C, hibernation below 11 ° C, and deep hibernation below 6 ° C.
Feeding habits
The red-eared painted turtle is an omnivorous animal and is a wild turtle in nature, mostly carnivorous. Under captivity, it likes to eat animal food, such as fish, pork, animal offal, mussels, snails and blood worms (mosquito larvae), red filaria (earthworms), mealworms (breadworms), fly maggots, etc. It also eats plants such as vegetable leaves, rice, melons and fruits. When feeding, small fish, small shrimp, pork liver, bloodworms, cockroaches, etc. are fed. The feeding time of the red-eared painted turtle is not selective, and it eats evenly day and night. In the state of hunger, there is food grabbing behavior, and the phenomenon of eating large and small occurs.
Breeding methods
Oviparous, red-eared painted turtles breed from May to August. During the breeding season, each spawning individual lays eggs multiple times, 3-19 eggs per spawn. The eggs are oval in shape, with an average long diameter of about 31 mm and a short diameter of about 19 mm, weighing about 6.8 grams.
Species hazards
On August 20, 2014, the red-eared painted turtle was listed as one of the 18 pest species in the "China Invasive Alien Species List" (the third batch).
On December 20, 2022, the red-eared painted turtle was included in the List of Invasive Alien Species for Key Management.
The red-eared painted turtle is recognized worldwide as an ecological killer and has been listed by the World Environmental Protection Organization as one of the more than 100 most destructive species, and several countries have listed it as one of the dangerous invasive alien species. China has also listed it as an invasive alien species, and the damage to China's natural environment is incalculable.