The Toadhead turtle (Mesoclemmys gibba) it is a smaller representative of the South American necked turtles (Chelidae). These animals have been known to science and the hobby for a long time, but unfortunately they have not been sufficiently investigated so far.

Its distribution is in a wide area of ​​South America., in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, Paraguay and parts of Brazil.

In any case, in Europe mainly animals with Guyanese and Surinamese ancestry are kept.

The Toadhead turtle is small, with a carapace length of 15-18 cm in males and 18 cm in females. In this species, sexual dimorphism is not very evident., although males tend to have longer tails and a more forked plastron at the level of the anal scutes. In Venezuela, individuals with a carapace length of up to 23 cm..

Its head is narrow compared to other species of the same genus, back of head lined with small granules; two short barbules on chin, whose length is not greater than the size of the eye; broad, flattened carapace with a serrated-looking vertebral carina, which is smaller in adults; vertebral scutes wider than long, the third and fifth have an inconspicuous posterior projection towards the keel; the intergular shield completely divides the gulars, but not to the humerals; scales between orbit and eardrum smaller than those on top of head; webbed feet with 5 nails on the forelimbs and 4 in the later;

These turtles live in rivers, as well as in its tributaries and floodplains in the tropics. They are good swimmers and probably quite nocturnal.. Due to its distribution area, the Toadhead turtle it is active all year round and does not need to hibernate.

It is a shy species with nocturnal and aquatic habits that prefers aquatic bottoms.. These turtles change their diet as they mature: juveniles have an omnivorous diet and become more carnivorous as they grow. Some plants have been reported in the diet of juveniles., like the fruits of the palm Mauritia flexuosa and grasses of the species Pennisetum purpureum and Sacharum sinensis; while adults consume fish, Tadpoles, crustaceans, larvae of aquatic insects and other small invertebrates. To build nests, they dig in well-shaded clay soils., close to bodies of water, or at the base of tree trunks. The nests consist of 2-4 eggs longer than wide and hard-shelled. As a defense mechanism against predators, these turtles expel a strong musky odor and bite.

throughout its range, Little is known about their ecology and the status of their populations., reason why it has not been evaluated by the IUCN. In any case, the destruction, habitat fragmentation and pollution are its biggest threat.

The Toadhead turtle tends to socialize well with fish and even with shrimp, but they break the shell of the snails and eat them right away. Estas humpback turtles tend to be shy when kept with other species, and stress in combination with too high a pH value of the water can sometimes lead to skin problems. So, it is recommended to raise the young individually or in small groups of 3 to 5 animals in spacious tanks with lots of cover, and check regularly if they are stressed.

A tank is recommended. 120 x 50 x 60cm minimum to maintain a couple, although males may be better housed separately. The water temperature should vary between 24-28°C. Due to its tropical origin, animals don't hibernate, but they should not be kept in the pond either.

The species feeds almost entirely carnivorously.. This means that only food of animal origin is accepted, except for bananas and sweet berries. The carnivorous component must consist of insect larvae, snails, crustaceans, mussels, worms and insects. Pellets can also be added to this species to prevent deficiency symptoms. (vitamin deficiency, etc.). The shell of cuttlefish as a source of calcium is convenient to keep in our aquaterrarium.

As long as a couple stays, will eventually reproduce. The females lay from 1 to 5 hard shell eggs. These should not be incubated too wet. At a constant temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, the animals hatch after a few 150 days; in the nature, the eggs need between 150 and 180 days. This has to do with the slower development of embryos due to fluctuating temperatures.. A fluctuating incubation between 24-29 degrees. In this case, young animals hatch with more vitality.

The price of a "Toadhead turtle" at the exotic animal market, ranges between 90 – 120 EUR.

1. Toadhead turtle, Gibba turtle, Lesser toad-headed turtle (English).
2. Tortue bossue (French).
3. Buckelschildkröte, Gibba-Schildkröte, Krötenkopfschildkröte (German).
4. Tartaruga gibba, Tartaruga toadhead, Cágado-de-poças-da-floresta (Portuguese).
5. Ashna charapitas , Asna charapas , Hediondas , Galápago hediondo , Charapitas de aguajal , Charapitas de cananguchal , Charapitas de altura , Curizas, Tortuga cabeza de sapo (español).

The species had been described in 1876 by the director of the Sydney Natural History Museum, born in Brunswick, Johann Ludwig Gerard KREFFT, as Emydura subglobosa and in 1888 by BOULENGER as Emydura albertisii. For a long time the name given by BOULENGER was used. The specimens described as Emydura australis albertisii in the literature of a few years ago or still today in zoos they belong to the Emydura subglobosa. The two subspecies are distinguished subglobosa and worrelli.

The Red-bellied short-necked turtle (Emydura subglobosa) found on islands and rivers off the coast of Australia and New Guinea, like Fraser Island, the garden river, Daru, cape york, the Stradbroke Islands and the Torres Strait Islands. These turtles are also found in lowland swamps, covering large areas of the open tropical plains in western Papua New Guinea.

The Red-bellied short-necked turtle owes its name to its purple-red ventral carapace, that fades with age. Shell, of up 26,5 cm length, it's rather flat, wider behind than in front, with a keel in juveniles and without it in adults. It is brown or gray, except marginal shields, whose edge and bottom are red.

The plastron is red, pink or yellow with a reddish lateral stripe. Bright yellow stripe over eye to ear is eye-catching. The neck is relatively short. the snout is pointed. There are two yellow barbels on the chin. Juveniles are more colorful than adults, males have more contrasting colored heads than females.

In many sea turtles, freshwater and terrestrial, the sex of the embryo is influenced by the incubation temperature. But, this is not the case for Australian chelids studied to date, lacking temperature-dependent sex determination.

The preferred habitat of the Red-bellied short-necked turtle are the rivers, swamps and ponds of Papua New Guinea and Australia. In the lower reaches of the Kikori and Omati rivers they inhabit slow-moving waters, seasonal wetlands and wetlands.

Like other freshwater turtles, the Red-bellied short-necked turtle alternate periods in the water with sunny time to increase body temperature. Most of their life is spent in the water, where they look for food. If there is a shortage of water in the warmer months, move to flooded areas.

The Red-bellied short-necked turtle swims and sunbathes to control internal body temperature. During the sunbathing process, tears go down the side of the turtle's head and enter the mouth as it opens and closes, what are known as gular movements. Wheezing and foaming at the mouth have been observed, although it is more common in Emydura macquarii than in the other Emydura species. Wetting the head or limbs, removing limbs from heat exposure and changing breathing patterns are mechanisms that prevent overheating

The Red-bellied short-necked turtle snap and bite when threatened, causing painful wounds. They stick their heads in while tilting their shell towards predators to reduce damage to soft body parts.

The Red-bellied short-necked turtle has highly developed senses, necessary for communication and perception. These senses help them locate food, avoid predators and find a mate during the breeding season. Studies have shown that these freshwater turtles can communicate with each other through a wide range of vocalizations that are too soft for humans to hear.. Evidence also suggests that echolocation may evolve to find prey., in addition to being used to obtain a three-dimensional image of the turtle pond).

The Red-bellied short-necked turtle, like other freshwater turtles, has a nictitating membrane (transparent third eyelid) for underwater vision. Your sense of smell is achieved through your nose and a specialized Jacobsen's organ., that identifies chemical residues floating in the air and water.

Although turtles do not have an external ear hole, they have an eardrum that is covered with skin and can detect low-frequency vibrations underwater and on land. Red-bellied short-necked turtles have four scent glands in their shell. These glands produce a scent as a defense against predators and between competing males during the breeding season.. They communicate with potential mates through extensive courtship ceremonies that include bobbing their heads as they align their bodies..

The Red-bellied short-necked turtle it is omnivorous and feeds on filamentous algae, perifiton, sponges, aquatic macrophytes, aquatic macroinvertebrates, terrestrial insects falling into the water and carrion. These turtles also rely heavily on mollusc crushing., fish, insects, worms, aquatic plants, plant matter and seeds as part of your daily life.

During the breeding season, males communicate with females with a series of signaling postures, including a combination of simultaneous caresses, blinking eyes and swinging of the head.

In the Red-bellied short-necked turtle, females have a large area inside their shell to store eggs, while the males have a larger tail. Ovulation and nesting begin in early spring. Only female turtles come out of the water at night or first thing in the morning to lay eggs in hollow cavities built into sand or soil.. Females lay eggs in about an hour.

These turtles can produce two to four clutches a year., laying four to eleven eggs each time, with an average of 7 eggs in each clutch. The eggs hatch and hatch in the next dry season, between July and August.

The Red-bellied short-necked turtle It is listed as a species of least concern by the UICN. But, isolated populations may occur in arid regions throughout their range and have long times to sexual maturity. This combination leads some associations to think that a preventive conservation program should be applied. Increasing anthropogenic threats also pose a threat.

Human predation includes the collection of eggs and the capture of adult turtles as a local food source..

For the maintenance and care of the Red-bellied short-necked turtle, an aquaterrarium with a rim length of at least 150 cm.. This aquaterrarium must have an aquatic part and a terrestrial part for the benefit of the animals. The water part must be very large and offer swimming animals a lot of free space. Other decorations would only unnecessarily restrict the turtles' swimming space and, Therefore, are not necessary.

The Red-bellied short-necked turtle he is a peaceful and friendly creature. They can be kept as a couple or in a group without problems..

They prefer water temperatures between 22 and 28 degrees centigrade and a pH value between 6 and 8. A UV lamp must be installed for the turtles to sunbathe. It is important that turtles always stay in clean water. Animals are native to tropical and subtropical regions. They don't go into hibernation.

The duration of illumination is always given as twelve hours, because in the natural range the length of the day hardly changes over the course of the year. December is hotter than July, which is easy to explain: The red-bellied pointy-headed turtle comes from the southern hemisphere, and the seasons there shift half a year, compared to our seasons in the northern hemisphere.

But, it makes sense to care for these aquatic turtles according to our seasons, that is to say, shift temperatures half a year. In this way, heating costs are reduced in winter and also less water evaporates in winter (danger of mold!).

In summer, animals should be kept at a water temperature slightly lower than the 30 °C, while in spring and autumn temperatures of about 26-27 °C. This species does not hibernate, so it is enough to lower the temperatures to 25°C to simulate winter.

The Red-bellied short-necked turtle it is a species that feeds in a mixed way and to which the full range of foods of animal origin can be offered, but plant-based foods should also be on the menu. But, the emphasis is clearly on foods of animal origin.

These aquatic turtles also like to eat creek fleas, various mosquito larvae and insects (like crickets).

Both sexes of this turtle reach sexual maturity with a carapace length of between 14 and 16 cm.. Smaller specimens are assumed to be sexually mature with 12 cm of shell length.

In New Guinea, egg laying takes place in August and October, and is often dispersed throughout the year in captive breeding. A clutch usually consists of five to eleven eggs and is laid at a depth of five to 15 cm.. In the Red-bellied short-necked turtle, three to four clutches may occur per year.

The Emydura subglobosa belongs to the group of aquatic turtles with genetic sex fixation, that is to say, sex is not influenced by breeding temperature. At a rearing temperature of 25-30 °C, The young are born after 50 to 80 days.

Occasionally, the Red-bellied short-necked turtle are offered in pet stores. The specimens offered in the pet shop are usually European pups. But, it is more advisable to buy this beautiful tortoise from a breeder. Since this turtle is comparatively easy to breed, there are some breeders.

Its price ranges from 80 – 100 EUR.

1. Red-bellied short-necked turtle, Pink-bellied side-necked turtle, Jardine River turtle (English).
2. Tortue à ventre rouge, Emydure à ventre rouge (French).
3. Rotbauch-Spitzkopfschildkröte (German).
4. Tartaruga-de-barriga-vermelha, Tartaruga de barriga vermelha e pescoço curto (Portuguese).
5. "Tortuga de cuello corto", Tortuga de cuello corto de vientre rojo, Tortuga de cuello lateral de vientre rosado, tortuga del río Jardine, Tortuga payaso (español).

The name Rhinoclemmys is derived from the Greek words rhinos (nose, snout, bill, bill) and klemmys (Turtle, Turtle). The name alludes to the protruding snout that some individuals of the type species have..

The Spot-legged wood turtle (Rhinoclemmys punctularia) It is distributed in eastern Colombia., Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, NE of Brazil (Tocantins, For, amazon, Bay, maranhão, to the lower course of the Tapajós River, Rio de Janeiro)

The shell is dark brown to black.. Limbs are orange-yellow with scattered black spots. The male is slightly smaller than the female and has a longer, slightly concave plastron and thicker tail.. Middle dorsal keel. red head pattern, yellow or green formed by two longitudinal or horseshoe-shaped stripes. Heavily webbed feet.

It is a semi-aquatic species. Lives most of the time in swamps, coastal streams and marshes. In Brazil it lives along the coast of Pará and in open areas along the Amazon River to the lower Tapajós.. Avoid high salinity and strong currents.

Omnivores, seek both animal and plant foods. Foraging and feeding can occur both in water and on dry land.

while they feed, they bite into their food using their front limbs not only to pull and break larger amounts of food, but also to maneuver the food in their mouths.

They lay an average of two very large brittle-shelled elongated eggs. They make several layings in a season. The incubation period can last up to three months.. Sex is determined by temperature. The eggs are covered with leaf litter or hidden among vegetation and roots..

Mainly active at night, but is known to bask and be active during the day.

This species is consumed only locally, but there is evidence that it is widely consumed or kept as a pet and sold on the black market.

It was classified in 2012 like least concern in the new Scientific Assessment of the Risk of Extinction of the Brazilian Fauna. To date, it has not been necessary to create any conservation program for this species.

It is a rarely imported species., so there is not much information about their care in captivity.

For proper maintenance and care of the Spot-legged wood turtle, an aquarium with an integrated terrestrial part or an aquaterrarium is recommended. The aquarium must have a rim length of at least 150 cm.. The substrate of the aquatic part must be designed as a tropical forest. The lush plantation, foliage and humus can serve you.

The Spot-legged wood turtle It is native to tropical regions.. So, it is mandatory to have a heated aquarium. Reptiles prefer a water temperature between 25 and 30 degrees centigrade with a pH value between 6,0 and 8,0. It is advisable to install a UV lamp so that the turtles sunbathe.

Under no circumstances will we let these turtles hibernate. If temperatures drop below 20ºC, may start to show symptoms of breathing problems.

The price of a "Spot-legged wood turtle" at the exotic animal market, ranges between 90 – 120 EUR.
Imported animals must be kept in quarantine, and be dewormed.

1. Spot-legged wood turtle, Painted wood turtle (English).
2. Tortue spot-jambes, Tortue ponctulaire (French).
3. Guyana-Erdschildkröte (German).
4. Aperema, Tartaruga-de-patas-malhadas (Portuguese).
5. "Tortuga de patas moteadas", Tortuga Cabeza pintada Guayana, Tortuga de Patas Punteadas, Morrocoy negro (español).