Graptemys flavimaculata
Yellow-blotched map turtle
Description
Graptemys flavimaculata is a medium sized turtle from the USA. Females reach a maximum size of about 18 cm. Males are much smaller, reaching a size of about 11 cm. This species of map turtle has a keel with black spikes along the middle of the carapace. As the animals age the keel gets less pronounced, especially in adult females. The carapace is dark green in color with a yellow or orange blotch on each scute. The plastron has a creme color with a black pattern that fades with age.
Genders
Female G. flavimaculata (left) are much larger compared to the males. Females reach 18 cm and males reach a maximum of 11 cm in size. Males can also be recognised by their much larger and thicker tail. Their vent is located farther away from the rim of the shell.
Distribution and habitat
Graptemys flavimaculata only occurs in the state of Mississippi in the Pascagoula river and it's side braches. Yellow blotched map turtles prefers broad rivers with strong currents with ample basking spots like logs and branches. The sandy beaches provide nesting spots for the females.
Temperament
The animals are not aggressive towards eachother and can be housed in a large aquarium in a group. Adult males are pushy towards the females, so when both sexes are housed together, the group must consist of several females. Males can start to show aggression among themselves and should therefore not be housed together.
Husbandry
- Size aquarium: 120x50x50 cm or bigger.
- Watertemperature: 23 – 26 degrees celcius.
- Temperature heatlamp: 35 – 40 degrees celcius.
- Ferguson zone: 3
Graptemys are strong swimmers. An aquarium should provide the animals with both sufficient swimming space and obstacles that can be used to climb up or hide. Kienhout and stones can be used for this. At the bottom, river sand can be used as a substrate. For further enrichment, tough aquatic plants such as hornwort can be used. Soft aquatic plants are eaten. Small fish and shrimps are suited as fellow residents.
The land area in the aquarium should be dry so that the animals can fully dry themselves. Above the island, a heat lamp is be mounted that provides the animals with a warm place. In addition to heat, provide the animals with uvb so that they can produce vitamin D and absorb calcium from their diet.
Nutrition
The genus Graptemys includes species with very broad and powerfull heads to crush shellfish and species with narrow heads that are more suited to hunt and consume insects and other small prey items.
Graptemys flavimaculata is a narrow headed species. They primarily consume insects, their larvae, other small prey and aquatic plants.
To mimic this natural diet we offer our animals the following foods: worms, crickets, pillbugs, silkworms, waxworms, musquitolarvae, shrimps, mealworms, phoenix worms. Small fish, snails and turtle pellets supplement this diet. Floating plants grow in their enclosure as food. Every now and then the animals also are fed endive. Pieces of sepia are always available as a calcium source.
