Japanese pond turtle

Species of turtle

Japanese pond turtle

Japanese pond turtle (Mauremys japonica)
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)^[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Genus:	Mauremys
Species:	M. japonica
Binomial name
*Mauremys japonica* (Temminck & Schlegel in Siebold, 1835^[3])
Synonyms^[4]
Emys vulgaris japonica Temminck & Schlegel, 1835 Emys japonica Gray, 1844 Emys caspica var. japonica Duméril & Bibron, 1852 Clemmys japonica Strauch, 1862 Mauremys japonica McDowell, 1964 Ocadia japonica Vetter, 2006

The Japanese pond turtle (Mauremys japonica), also called commonly the Japanese pond terrapin and the Japanese pond tortoise, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae endemic to Japan. Its Japanese name is nihon ishigame, Japanese stone turtle. Its population has decreased somewhat due to habitat loss, but it is not yet considered a threatened species.

This species is known to hybridize with the Chinese pond turtle, the Chinese stripe-necked turtle, and the Chinese box turtle (and possibly other Geoemydidae) in captivity. As these three species are much rarer and strongly declining in the wild, this should be avoided.^[5]^[6]

The Japanese pond turtle is an aquatic species found in many freshwater bodies of water. These include rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, and irrigated rice paddies in the flatlands surrounding highlands.^[7] Although they can be found on both flatlands and on the slopes of the mountains, studies have shown they are more likely to thrive on the flatlands.^[8] This can be essential to understanding the conservation measures needed to protect this near-threatened species.

References

^ Asian Turtle Trade Working Group (2016) [errata version of 2000 assessment]. "Mauremys japonica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2000: e.T39612A97370705. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T39612A10251032.en. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
^ Temminck, C. J., and H. Schlegel. 1835. Reptilia. Chelonii. In: Ph. Fr. de Siebold, 1833-1838, Fauna Japonica. Leyden. 144 pp.
^ Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 229. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. ISSN 1864-5755.
^ Buskirk, James R.; Parham, James F. & Feldman, Chris R. (2005). On the hybridisation between two distantly related Asian turtles (Testudines: Sacalia × Mauremys). Salamandra. 41: 21-26. PDF fulltext^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Suzuki, Dai; Yabe, Takashi; Hikida, Tsutomu (December 2013). "Hybridization between Mauremys japonica and Mauremys reevesii Inferred by Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Analyses". Journal of Herpetology. 48 (4): 445–454. doi:10.1670/11-320. ISSN 0022-1511. S2CID 86411251.
^ "Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group". Retrieved 2022-10-28.
^ Kagayama, Shawichi (August 2020). "Geographic Variation in the Growth of Japanese Pond Turtles, Mauremys japonica, in the Flatland and Mountain Regions of Chiba Prefecture, Japan". Current Herpetology. 39 (2): 87–97. doi:10.5358/hsj.39.87. ISSN 1345-5834. S2CID 221348416.

Ernst, C. H. & Barbour, R. W. (1989). Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
Highfield, A. C. (1996). Practical Encyclopedia of Keeping and Breeding Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles. Carapace Press, London, England.
Pritchard, P. C. H. (1979). Encyclopedia of Turtles. TFH Publications, Neptune, New Jersey.
Spinks, Phillip Q.; Shaffer, Bradley H.; Iverson, John B. & McCord, William P. (2004). Phylogenetic hypotheses for the turtle family Geomydidae. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 32, 164–182. Academic Press, Cambridge:MA.
Kagayama, S. (2020). Geographic Variation in the Growth of Japanese pond turtles, Maureys japonica, in the Flatland and mountain regions of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Current Herpetology, 39(2), 87. https://doi.org/10.5358/hsj.39.87
Kagayama, S. (2022). Life history stage and sex-specific survival rates for the Japanese pond turtle, mauremys japonica, in the foothill region of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Current Herpetology, 41(1). https://doi.org/10.5358/hsj.41.138
Suzuki, D., & Hikida, T. (2011). Mitochondrial phylogeography of the Japanese pond turtle, Mauremys japonica (Testudines, Geoemydidae). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 49(2), 141–147. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0469.2010.00577.x
Yasukawa, Y., Yabe, T., & Ota, H. (2008). Mauremys japonica (Temminck and Schlegel 1835) – Japanese pond turtle. Chelonian Research Monographs. https://doi.org/10.3854/crm.5.003.japonica.v1.2008

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mauremys japonica.

Mauremys japonica, The Reptile Database

Family Geoemydidae

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Geoemydidae

Genera

Species of the family Geoemydidae

†Banhxeochelys

†Banhxeochelys trani

Batagur

Cuora

Cyclemys

†Echmatemys

†Echmatemys septaria
†Echmatemys stevensoniana
†Echmatemys wyomingensis

Geoclemys

Black pond turtle

Geoemyda

Hardella

Brahminy river turtle

Heosemys

Leucocephalon

Sulawesi forest turtle

Malayemys

Mauremys

Melanochelys

Morenia

Notochelys

Malayan flat-shelled turtle

Orlitia

Malaysian giant turtle

Pangshura

Rhinoclemmys

Sacalia

Siebenrockiella

Vijayachelys

Cane turtle

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=Extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Suborder

Superfamily

Family

Genus

Cryptodira

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers
Mauremys japonica	Wikidata: Q1361877 Wikispecies: Mauremys japonica ADW: Mauremys_japonica BOLD: 29439 CoL: 3YFWC EoL: 1055873 GBIF: 2443368 iNaturalist: 68338 IRMNG: 11313130 ITIS: 551930 IUCN: 39612 NCBI: 176196 Observation.org: 101336 Open Tree of Life: 26434 Paleobiology Database: 137553 RD: japonica Species+: 3514
Emys vulgaris japonica	Wikidata: Q123594218 GBIF: 5220645