Red-headed Amazon River turtle
| Red-headed Amazon side-necked turtle | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Pleurodira |
| Family: | Podocnemididae |
| Genus: | Podocnemis |
| Species: | P. erythrocephala
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| Binomial name | |
| Podocnemis erythrocephala (Spix, 1824)
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The red-headed Amazon side-necked turtle,[2] red-headed river turtle or red-headed sideneck (Podocnemis erythrocephala) is a species of turtle in the family Podocnemididae. It is found in the Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.[3]
Description
[edit]With a size of less than 32 cm (13 in), and weighing usually less than 2.8 kg (6.2 lb), the red-headed river turtle is considered a small one for the area, making it easily distinguishable from other local species.[4] Identifying features of this turtle include colors ranging from dark brown to black, barbels under the chin, and a bright red strip that goes from behind its head to the tympanum,[4] which is the reason for its name, giving it the red-headed moniker.
Behaviors
[edit]Reproduction
[edit]Females will lay anywhere from 2-18 eggs about 4 times a year,[5] though on average will lay about 8.[6] They will nest either on sandy beaches or near the riverside, but ideally prefer extremely dirty water.[6] Like many other turtles, they rely upon temperature-dependent sex determination.[7]
Diet
[edit]This species is herbivorous, and prefers to eat fruits and seeds.[5] It serves an important ecological role because of this, since they serve as important carriers and a dispersal method for many plants and trees in its habitats.[6] Additionally, with all the plant matter it eats, it helps clean the rivers of debris, and serves as nutrient cyclers.[citation needed]
Conservation
[edit]This turtle faces some risk from humans, as it is hunted as adults and eggs for sale on the black market in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela, despite being protected by law in all three countries.[5] Often, it is poached in or around its common nesting sites. Historically, it has also been consumed as a food source and natural resource for centuries.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ Podocnemis erythrocephala, Reptile Database
- ^ A.G.J.; Iverson, J.B.; Bour, R.; Fritz, U.; Georges, A.; Shaffer, H.B.; van Dijk, P.P. (2017). Rhodin, A.G.J.; Iverson, J.B.; van Dijk, P.P.; Saumure, R.A.; Buhlmann, K.A.; Pritchard, P.C.H.; Mittermeier, R.A. (eds.). "Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status". Chelonian Research Monographs. Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. 7 (8 ed.): 1–292. doi:10.3854/crm.7.checklist.atlas.v8.2017. ISBN 9781532350269.
- ^ a b Fantin, C.; Farias, I.P.; Monjel, L.A.S.; Hrbek, T. (2010). "Short Communication Polyandry in the red-headed river turtle Podocnemis erythrocephala (Testudines, Podocnemididae) in the Brazilian Amazon" (PDF). Genetics and Molecular Research. 9 (1): 435–440. doi:10.4238/vol9-1gmr749. PMID 20391328.
- ^ a b c "Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group". Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ^ a b c d "WCS Brazil - Amazonian Turtles". brasil.wcs.org. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ^ Cornejo-Páramo, Paola; Lira-Noriega, Andrés; Ramírez-Suástegui, Ciro; Méndez-de-la-Cruz, Fausto R.; Székely, Tamás; Urrutia, Araxi O.; Cortez, Diego (2020-08-17). "Sex determination systems in reptiles are related to ambient temperature but not to the level of climatic fluctuation". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 20 (1): 103. Bibcode:2020BMCEE..20..103C. doi:10.1186/s12862-020-01671-y. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 7433102. PMID 32807071.
External links
[edit]- Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996. IUCN Red List: Podocnemis erythrocephala . downloaded on 29 July 2007.
- All IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
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