Beale's eyed turtle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beale's eyed turtle |
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Sacalia
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| Species: |
bealei
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The Beale's eyed turtle (Sacalia bealei) is a special kind of turtle. It belongs to a group of turtles called Geoemydidae. This turtle is found only in China, meaning it is endemic there.
Contents
About Beale's Eyed Turtle
What Does It Look Like?
The Beale's eyed turtle has a shell, called a carapace, that is usually yellowish-brown. It's smooth and a bit flat, with black spots. Some of these turtles have a brown shell instead. Their head is olive-green.
A cool thing about these turtles is the "eyes" on the back of their head! They have two pairs of black circles, like little eyes, with black centers. Their head also has many tiny black spots. This turtle is a medium size, growing up to about 18 centimeters (7 inches) long.
Where Does It Live?
This turtle is a night animal, meaning it is most active after the sun goes down. It lives in mountain streams, from low to high places. It especially likes streams that are covered by thick forests. These streams often have many large stones, which the turtles use for hiding and shelter.
What Does It Eat?
Beale's eyed turtles enjoy eating crayfish and worms. If they are kept by people, they will also eat meat.
How Does It Behave?
These turtles are quite shy and get nervous easily. If you try to pick one up, it might wiggle and scratch wildly with its claws. This is just its way of trying to get away because it feels scared.
How Do They Have Babies?
Female Beale's eyed turtles usually lay about six eggs at a time. They often hide their nests by partly burying them under leaves and soil. The whole process of laying eggs can take a long time, sometimes up to 165 minutes!
Names for This Turtle
Sometimes, people call this turtle the Beale's four-eyed turtle. However, this name can be confusing. There is another turtle called the four-eyed turtle (S. quadriocellata). To avoid mixing them up, it's better to stick to Beale's eyed turtle. The name bealei was given to honor Thomas Beale, a Scottish naturalist and merchant who worked in China.
Where Can You Find Them?
Beale's eyed turtles live across central and southern China. They are very rare in Hong Kong.
Protecting This Turtle
Why Are They Endangered?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists Beale's eyed turtles as endangered. This means they are at a high risk of disappearing forever. One big reason is that people hunt them for traditional uses. Even though they are protected in Hong Kong, some are still sold in pet shops there. These turtles are likely caught from the wild.
Other Threats
Another problem for these turtles is habitat loss. This means their homes in the mountain streams are being destroyed or changed. It's also hard to help them because they only lay one group of eggs each year. Plus, their eggs are often attacked by ants, making it even harder for baby turtles to survive. All these things make it very difficult to protect this rare species.
