Alabama map turtle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alabama map turtle |
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| Alabama map turtle basking on a rock | |
| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Graptemys
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| Species: |
pulchra
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| Range map | |
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The Alabama map turtle (Graptemys pulchra) is a type of turtle found only in the southern United States. You can tell it apart from other turtles by a black stripe down the middle of its back. This stripe has small bumps, but these bumps get smoother as the turtle gets older.
Scientists T.H. Bean and L. Kumlen first found the Alabama map turtle in July 1876. They found it in a lake near Montgomery, Alabama. Another scientist named Baur officially described and named this turtle in 1893. The group of turtles called Graptemys includes nine different kinds of turtles, most of which live in water.
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Where Do Alabama Map Turtles Live?
The Alabama map turtle lives in a special area in the Southeast. It is found only in the rivers and streams that flow into Mobile Bay. These turtles live in flowing water in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and possibly Louisiana. Their home stretches from the Pearl River in Mississippi and Louisiana to the Yellow River in Florida and Alabama.
What is the Alabama Map Turtle's Status?
The IUCN says the Alabama map turtle is "near threatened." This means it could become endangered in the future if we don't protect it. Alabama lists it as a protected species. Georgia calls it a rare species, and Mississippi says it's a species of special concern.
This turtle is at high risk of disappearing from its natural areas. This is because it lives only in certain river systems. Also, human activities like destroying its home and breaking up its habitat put it in danger.
What Does the Alabama Map Turtle Look Like?
It can be tricky to tell the Alabama map turtle apart from other Graptemys turtles. But a few key things help identify it. The black stripe with bumps down the center of its back is a clear sign.
Male adult turtles are about 9.0–12.7 cm (3.5–5.0 in) long. They keep most of their bright colors and patterns from when they were young. Female turtles are much larger, ranging from 18.0–29.2 cm (7.1–11.5 in). They have very big heads, which they use to crush snails and other shelled creatures. As females get older, they lose most of their markings and become duller in color than males and young turtles.
The top part of their shell, called the carapace, can be olive green to dull green. Adults have a slightly visible black stripe. Young turtles have a darker stripe on a more olive-colored shell. The outer edge of the upper shell often has light, net-like patterns. The scale-like parts of the shell, called scutes, usually have a yellowish bar or half-circle. Dark rings are often seen on the bottom surface of each outer scute.
The bottom part of their shell, called the plastron, is yellow and doesn't have a hinge. It has a notch at the back. A thin black line borders the edge of each scute. Their head is brown to olive with a large mark between and behind the eyes. This mark can be light green or yellow. Stripes on the side and top of the head can be connected or separate. They also have stripes on their chin. Their feet are webbed, and their tail and limbs are striped.
Young turtles grow quickly, but their growth slows down when they become adults. Females reach their full size around 23 years old. They can live for 50 years or more in the wild. Females have much bigger jaws. Males have long, thick tails with their vent (opening) past the edge of their shell.
Ecology and Behavior
Knowing about water temperature and river features helps create the best home for the Alabama map turtle. The turtle's activity changes with the water temperature. If the water gets below 19 °C, they eat and move much less. They don't fully hibernate, though. They mostly live in large streams in coastal plains that have many snails and mussels.
There are four different groups of Alabama map turtles based on where they live. One group is in the Pearl River area, another in the Pascagoula area, a third in the Mobile Bay area, and a fourth in the Escambia and Yellow River areas.
Scientists have found some parasites on these turtles. A type of leech was seen on some turtles in the spring. A common gut parasite was found in less than 25% of adult turtles. One adult female had a fluke (a type of flatworm) in its small intestine. A tiny parasite called a sporozoan was also found in the bile duct and gall bladder of some Alabama map turtles.
Habitat
Alabama map turtles live in the main river systems that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Young turtles and males like shallow water with logs where they can bask in the sun. Females prefer deeper water. Females also like a specific type of coarse sand for their sandbars. Managers can help these turtles by making sure rivers have the right places for young turtles, adult males, and adult females.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Male Alabama map turtles become old enough to reproduce when they are three to four years old. Females take much longer, reaching maturity around 14 years old. Males have sperm all year, but mating only happens in the autumn. Females might store sperm.
Their courtship dance is similar to other water turtles. However, males use their snouts to "tickle" the females instead of their front claws. Adult males don't even have long front claws.
Females lay about 29 eggs per season, but this number depends on the female's size. They usually lay about four groups of eggs (clutches) each season. Nests are built on exposed sandbars, usually 1 to 20 meters from the water's edge. Other types of Graptemys turtles might nest up to 200 meters away. The roughness of the sand seems very important for where they choose to build their nests.
The eggs usually hatch in 74 to 79 days if the temperature is around 29 °C. It's common for entire groups of eggs not to hatch. Fish crows are known to eat eggs during the day, and raccoons eat them at night. The main enemies of adult Alabama map turtles are humans and the alligator snapping turtle.
What Do Alabama Map Turtles Eat?
Alabama map turtles eat different kinds of food, but they really like one specific thing: the imported oriental mussel. This mussel was the most common small creature without a backbone in the areas studied.
Smaller adult turtles and young turtles mostly eat insects. Larger adult females mainly eat the imported oriental mussel. They feed between May and October. The food they eat in September and October is likely stored for winter, as they stop growing in early September. Besides mussels and insects, they also eat dead animals (carrion) and plants.
See also
In Spanish: Tortuga mapa de Alabama para niños
Graptemys pulchra at the TIGR Reptile Database. Accessed 14 April 2013.
