Keeled box turtle

Hybridization

The southern Vietnamese population of Cuora mouhotii lives alongside Cuora picturata. Since Cuora mouhotii is known to hybridize with the closest living relatives of Cuora picturata (

Male and female keeled box turtles can be distinguished by the color of their eyes as well as their nails. A male generally has longer and thicker nails than a female, and eyes that are either black or brown. A female generally has shorter, thinner nails, and eyes that are orange or red.[12]

Biology

The biology of C. mouhotii is not well known.^[13]

In one survey, males and females had an average straight carapace length around 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in).

The breeding season is in May through September. The average clutch size was four eggs, which are smooth, white, and about 4.4 cm (1.7 in) long. On average they typically lay two clutches in a breeding season. Like many other turtles the keeled box turtle does not care for its young. Females have been noted to dig nests with their rear legs and cover the clutches with soil, and also to lay eggs under fallen leaves.^[13]

The male keeled box turtle is very aggressive during the act of mating. In some instances the male turtle will chase and injure a female. The male will often persist until the female allows its advances.

Diet

The keeled box turtle is herbivorous, and eats a wide variety of vegetation in the natural environment, with a preference for wild fallen fruits. It will also occasionally eat worms, snails, and other meat.^[13]

Habitat

The keeled box turtle is a terrestrial species, and can be frequently found in small caves and rock crevices. It can also be found in forests, in deep layers of leaves.

Conservation status

C. mouhotii is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).^[3]

The population of the keeled box turtle has been on a steep decline in some areas, particularly Vietnam. This can be attributed to people capturing it for food and pets, as well as Vietnam legally exporting large numbers. Although there are other possible reasons behind this population decline, deforestation and hunting have proven to be a major threat to this turtle especially.

Threats include habitat destruction and degradation during deforestation. In parts of its range it is threatened by overexploitation as it is collected from the wild, especially for food.^[14] It is also used in traditional medicine.^[15] It is consumed locally and traded internationally for the food market and the pet trade.^[14]

In China the species is bred in captivity on a small scale for the pet trade.^[14]

Gallery

• 
  C. m. mouhotii,

  plastron

  .
• 
  C. m. obsti, plastron.
• 
  Male C. m. obsti.

References

Further reading

• Bernhardt K (1995). "Pyxidea mouhotii (Gray 1862)". J. AG Schildkr. Panzerechsen 95 (2): 7–18. (in German).
• Boulenger GA (1889). Catalogue of the Chelonians, Rhynchocephalians, and Crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). New Edition. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). x + 311 pp. + Plates I-III. (Cyclemys mouhotii, pp. 132–133).
• Boulenger GA (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Cyclemys mouhoti, p. 31).
• ISBN 0-88359-056-5
  . (Pyxidea mouhotii, p. 131).
• Günther ACLG (1864). The Reptiles of British India. London: The Ray Society. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xxvii + 452 pp. + Plates I-XXVI. (Pyxidea mouhotii, p. 16 + Plate IV, figure D).
• Smith MA (1931). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. I.—Loricata, Testudines. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xxviii + 185 pp. + Plates I-II. (Cyclemys mouhoti, pp. 78–80, Figure 14).

External links

• Gray JE (1862). "Notice of a new Species of Cyclemys from the Lao Mountains, in Siam". Journal of Natural History, Third Series 10: 157. (Cyclemys mouhotii, new species).
• Gray JE (1863). "Observations on the Box Tortoises, with the Descriptions of Three New Asiatic Species". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1863: 173-179.
• Parham JF, et al. (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.^{[dead link]}
• Photo gallery: Pyxidea. World Chelonian Trust.