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MCZ Herpetology Observations 12

Trachemys stejnegeri (Schmidt, 1928)

Date Collected:

2011-01-03/2011-01-04

Central America: United States: Puerto Rico: Greater Antilles: Puerto Rico | Culebra Island

occurrenceID: https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:HerpOBS:12 JSON-LD

Media type: image; Herpetology Observations 12

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Shows Cataloged Item: MCZ:HerpOBS:12 Trachemys stejnegeri

Media type: image; Herpetology Observations 12

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Shows Cataloged Item: MCZ:HerpOBS:12 Trachemys stejnegeri

Media type: image; Herpetology Observations 12

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Shows Cataloged Item: MCZ:HerpOBS:12 Trachemys stejnegeri

Media type: image; Herpetology Observations 12

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Shows Cataloged Item: MCZ:HerpOBS:12 Trachemys stejnegeri

Media type: image; Herpetology Observations 12

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Shows Cataloged Item: MCZ:HerpOBS:12 Trachemys stejnegeri

Current Identification
Trachemys stejnegeri (Schmidt, 1928)
Animalia Chordata Reptilia Testudinata Cryptodira Emydidae
Common Name(s): Antillean Slider; Central Antillean slider; Hispaniolan slider turtle; Inagua island turtle; Puerto rican slider turtle
Determiner: Michael T. Jones on 2011-01-03
Nature of ID: expert ID
Remarks: Provisionally confirmed by Dr. Michael Seidel, Marshall University

  • None

  • previous number: MCZ R-188664

Part Condition Disposition Count
digital voucher (image) good in collection 5 History
Remarks: VOUCHER - NO PHYSICAL SPECIMEN

Attribute Value Determination On
sex unknown By: Michael T. Jones 2011-01-03
Remarks: 3 unknown observed
sex female By: Michael T. Jones 2011-01-03
Remarks: 13 females observed
sex male By: Michael T. Jones 2011-01-03
Remarks: 10 males observed
age class adult By: Michael T. Jones 2011-01-03
Remarks: 24 adults observed
age class juvenile By: Michael T. Jones 2011-01-03
Remarks: 2 juveniles observed

  • On 3-4 January 2011, we observed 26 live Trachemys stejnegeri (10 males, 13 females, 2 juveniles, 1 unknown) in and adjacent to a small creek on the south side of the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico. Turtles were observed along the creek from 3 to 27 m above sea level. Channel slope (=stream gradient) averaged 3.1% and observed flows averaged 0.0112 cubic meters per second. One turtle was observed in an in-ground cistern adjacent to the creek. Female SCLmin averaged 194 mm (N=12; range=162-267 mm). Male SCLmin averaged 156 mm (N=9; range=124-184 mm). Five of nine males were melanistic, typical of the species. Apparent courtship was observed in a shallow pool; this observation and the presence of juveniles suggests that the population is reproducing. Seidel 1988 (American Museum Novitates (No. 2918) 1988: 1-41) states that this species has been reported from Culebra, but that future efforts should be undertaken to substantiate this. Subsequent authors have repeated the claim that T. stejnegeri occurs on Culebra citing Seidel (1988), although the original source provided no documentation of occurrence there (e.g., Ernst et al. 2010. Turtles of the World online database: Trachemys stejnegeri. At website: http://nlbif.eti.uva.nl/bis/turtles.php?menuentry=soorten&id=327; Iverson et al. 2010. EMYSystem: Trachemys stejnegeri. At website: http://emys.geo.orst.edu/collection/species/Trachemysstejnegeri/Trachemysstejnegeri.html).

  • None

  • Continent:
  • Central America
  • Country:
  • United States
  • State/Province:
  • Puerto Rico
  • Island Group:
  • Greater Antilles
  • Island:
  • Puerto Rico
  • dwc:highergeographyID:
  • http://vocab.getty.edu/tgn/7004643 linked data icon
Specimens with same Higher Geography
Specimens from the same Locality
Specimens from the same Collecting Event
  • Specific Locality:
  • Culebra Island
  • Verbatim Locality:
  • Small creek on the south side of the island of Culebra
  • Elevation:
  • 3 - 27 m
  • Habitat Description:
  • creek
  • Locality Remarks:
  • Channel slope (=stream gradient) averaged 3.1%; observed flows averaged 0.0112 cubic meters per second
  • Georeference:
  • 18.3096000, -65.280500 (Error radius: 15m) By: Michael T. Jones on 2011-01-03 (Source: unknown)
  • Datum:
  • NAD83
  • Coordinates Entered As:
  • decimal degrees
  • Collecting Source:
  • wild caught
  • Began Date / Ended Date:
  • 2011-01-03 / 2011-01-04
  • Verbatim Date:
  • 03-Jan-2011
  • Collecting Event Remarks:
  • 26 turtles observed
  • Collectors:
  • Michael T. Jones; Lisabeth L. Willey

  • None

  • None

  • [Masked]

  • None
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