The Coahuilan box turtle (Terrapene coahuila), also known commonly as the aquatic box turtle, is an endangeredspeciesofturtle in the familyEmydidae. Unlike the other members of the genusTerrapene, this turtle spends roughly 90% of its time in water.[4]
It is a close relative to the common box turtle (T. carolina). Researchers have therefore suggested that it developed from a nonaquatic species in order to survive in the desertspringsofCuatro Ciénegas.[4]
T. coahuilaisendemic to the vicinity of Cuatro CiénegasinCoahuila, Mexico.[5] Within an area of less than 800 km2 (300 sq mi), there are several distinct pockets of this species. During the rainy season, Coahuilan box turtles may leave their home range and travel throughout the desert.[4]
The body of T. coahuila is adapted for spending long periods of time in the water, and the shell is often covered in algae. Just like any other box turtle, it has a hinged plastron that can be completely closed. The skin is dark, usually dark brown and dark gray, but some areas can appear completely black.[4]
Mating in T. coahuila takes place in shallow water from September to June, and eggs are laid from May to September. The eggs are laid in small clutches, typically consisting of just 2 to 3 eggs per clutch.[4]
^Brown WS (1974). "Ecology of the aquatic box turtle Terrapene coahuila (Chelonia, Emydidae), with comments on its evolutionary status". Bulletin of the Florida State Museum. 19: 1–67.
^Brown WS (1974). "Ecology of the aquatic box turtle Terrapene coahuila (Chelonia, Emydidae), with comments on its evolutionary status". Bulletin of the Florida State Museum. 19: 1–67.
Schmidt KP, Owens DW (1944). "Amphibians and Reptiles of Northern Coahuila, Mexico". Zool. Ser. Field Mus. Nat. Hist.29 (6): 97–115. (Terrapene coahuila, new species, pp. 101–103).
Howeth JG, McGaugh SE, Hendrickson DA (2008). "Contrasting demographic and genetic estimates of dispersal in the endangered Coahuilan box turtle: a contemporary approach to conservation". Molecular Ecology17: 4209–4221.
