Added September 14 2003. Last updated 16 April 2023: added links to Emydoidea and Malaclemys.
The Emydidae form a large group of freshwater and semi-aquatic turtles found mainly in the New World, with a couple of representatives in Europe and North Africa. A number of them are popular and often easy to care for terrarium subjects. However, this latter category does not include the Terrapene, or Box Turtles, which are in fact more demanding captives than traditionally credited. Likewise the attractive Map Turtles (Graptemys) need stringent cleanliness in their tanks, or they suffer ill health quite quickly. The Red-Eared Sliders, or terrapins, of the Trachemys genus have also proven so successful that they have settled far outside their original range and in some cases become a pest in the ecological balance of their new homes.
Wermuth in Grzimek gives the following characteristics for the Emydidae:
carapace and plastron are contiguous
there may be vestiges of inframarginal plates in the form of an anterior axillary and posterior inguinal plates, or even these may be partially or entirely absent
in older animals the shell is usually completely ossified
the plastron is always large, with no signs of reduction
the legs are of the "rowing" type, slightly flattened laterally with toes that are free but joined by membranes, at least at the base
Most emydid turtles prefer quiet or slowly flowing fresh water.
|
Genus |
Common Name |
No. of species |
Distribution |
Notes |
|
Actinemys |
Western/Pacific Pond Turtle |
1 |
W Canada, W USA and NW Mexico |
Formerly considered part of Clemmys |
|
Painted Turtles |
1 |
S Canada, USA and Mexico |
4 subspecies |
|
|
Clemmys |
Spotted, Bog & Wood Turtles |
1 |
USA and Canada, also Mexico |
Formerly included the species now assigned to Actinemys and Glyptemys |
|
Chicken Turtle |
1 |
USA |
Popular name derives from the supposed taste of the flesh. |
|
|
Blanding's Turtle |
1 |
Canada (S Ontario), USA |
|
|
|
European Pond Turtle |
1 |
Most of Europe, Russia, Iran and N Africa |
|
|
|
Wood- and Bog Turtles |
2 |
Canada and USA |
Formerly considered part of Clemmys |
|
|
Graptemys |
Map Turtles |
12 |
USA, also Canada |
|
|
Diamondback Turtle |
1 |
E USA |
Endangered in the wild and protected. |
|
|
Mauremys |
|
8 |
Europe and Asia |
|
|
Cooters and Redbelly Turtles |
9 |
USA, also Mexico |
|
|
|
Box Turtles |
4 |
USA, Mexico |
Popular but demanding captives. |
|
|
Sliders/ Terrapins |
8 |
Brazil, Caribbean, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, USA, Central America, Japan (introduced) |
Includes the popular red-eared slider or terrapin. Large number of subspecies, esp. T. scripta, with some confusion over taxonomy. |
Turtles and Tortoises of the World, David Alderton, Blandford, London 1999.
Animal Life Encyclopedia Volume 6: Reptiles, Grzimek,1975.
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