Mauremys mutica

Taxobox
name = Asian Yellow Pond Turtle


status = EN
status_system = iucn2.3
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
ordo = Testudines
subordo = Cryptodira
superfamilia = Testudinoidea
familia = Geoemydidae
subfamilia = Geoemydinae
genus = "Mauremys"
species = "M. mutica"
binomial = "Mauremys mutica"
binomial_authority = (Cantor, 1842)
synonyms =

The Asian Yellow Pond Turtle, "Mauremys mutica", is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae (=Bataguridae). It is found in China (Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan etc.), Japan (introduced and naturally (Ryukyu archipelago), Taiwan, and northern and central Vietnam and possibly adjacent Laos.

It is the parent of several hybrid Asian pond turtles that were described as new species. "Fujian Pond Turtles" "Mauremys iversoni" are hybrid specimens mainly produced in Chinese turtle farms but possibly occasionally occurring in the wild as well, usually from matings between female Asian Yellow Pond Turtle and Golden Coin Turtle "Cuora trifasciata" males. The supposed "Mauremys pritchardi" are wild and captive-bred hybrids between the present species and the Chinese Pond Turtle "Chinemys reevesi".

One subspecies is currently recognized:
*"Mauremys mutica kami" (Yasukawa et al. 1996) from the Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan.

recent genetic studies (Fong et al. 2007) have shown that further subspecies might exit, especially in Vietnam and on Hainan.

[Parham "et al." (2001), Buskirk "et al." (2005)]

Footnotes

http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/field_guide/field_guide_intro.htm

These turtles are being threatened by too much hunting and eating of them by people buying them for food in Asian markets. Look under link for more info on the turtle.

References

*|year=2000|id=39613|title=Mauremys mutica|downloaded=29 July 2007
*aut|Buskirk, James R.; Parham, James F. & Feldman, Chris R. (2005): On the hybridisation between two distantly related Asian turtles (Testudines: "Sacalia" × "Mauremys"). "Salamandra" 41: 21-26. [http://cc.usu.edu/~crfeldman/Buskirk_et_al_05.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (2001): New Chinese turtles: endangered or invalid? A reassessment of two species using mitochondrial DNA, allozyme electrophoresis and known-locality specimens. "Animal Conservation" 4(4): 357–367. [http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=4282B27D084B8B508074F736B4D11AD7.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=90491 HTML abstract] Erratum: "Animal Conservation" 5(1): 86 [http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=100113&fulltextType=ER&fileId=S1367943002001117 HTML abstract]