DOI10.47051/DTSH6752

Published April 29, 2022. Open access.

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Colombian Wood-Turtle (Rhinoclemmys melanosterna)

Reptiles of Ecuador | Testudines | Geoemydidae | Rhinoclemmys melanosterna

English common name: Colombian Wood-Turtle.

Spanish common names: Pintadilla, orito, patiamarilla, tortuga patinaranja (Ecuador); palmera, orito, patiamarilla, cabeza de cinta, inguensa, hicotea palmera, chibigui, bijaoguera, cabeza pintada (Colombia).

Recognition: ♂♂ 27.3 cmMaximum straight length of the carapace. ♀♀ 30.4 cmMaximum straight length of the carapace..1 The Colombian Wood-Turtle (Rhinoclemmys melanosterna) can be identified from other Chocoan freshwater turtles mainly on the basis of its ornate coloration. The head is black with two continuous or discontinuous dorsolateral bands that can be yellow, orange, red, or light green and extend from the anterior border of the orbit to the neck.2–4 The carapace is ovoid and can be black, dark brown, or dark olive.2–5 The plastron is black or dark brown and the edges of the plates are yellow.3,5 The feet are yellow or orange with black spots and reticulations.3,5 In Ecuador, R. melanosterna can be separated from R. annulata and R. nasuta by having a vermiculated pattern on the legs and neck, blue to green iris, and anterior extremities with well-developed interdigital membranes.6

Figure showing variation among individuals of Rhinoclemmys melanosterna

Figure 1: Individuals of Rhinoclemmys melanosterna from Esmeraldas province, Ecuador.

Natural history: RareTotal average number of reported observations per locality less than ten..7 Rhinoclemmys melanosterna is a semi-aquatic turtle that inhabits slow-moving bodies of water in evergreen lowland forests near coastal areas.3 In Colombia, the species also occurs in seasonally dry forests.8 Colombian Wood-Turtles can be found in freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater, including rivers, streams, ponds, lagoons, mangroves, and swamps.2,3,8 They also dwell in crop drains and marine beaches.3 Apparently, the home range size in this species is small, since individuals have been recaptured within a 200 m radius even after two years.3 Primarily during the day, but also at night, these turtles may be seen moving through water or walking on the forest floor.2,5,8 When not active or during the estivation period, they can use caves and underwater shelters formed by roots of riparian vegetation and macrophytes.5,8 In these places, congregations of up to 18 individuals have been found.3 Colombian Wood-Turtles are mainly herbivorous, feeding on stems, leaves, seeds, and fruits.2,5 Occasionally, they may consume worms, crustaceans, fish, and tadpoles.5,9 The breeding season of R. melanosterna occurs throughout the year.2,3,10 Females deposit 1–3 eggs that weigh 22.1–70 g and measure 4.8–7.1 cm long and 2.8–3.4 cm wide.3,10 These are not laid inside nests, but simply on the ground.10 The females sometimes cover them with leaf-litter, but no additional care is provided to the clutch.2,5,10 Hatchlings measure 3.9–5.9 cm in total length.3,10 In captivity, one individual lived for at least 37 years and 9 months.11

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Conservation: Near Threatened Not currently at risk of extinction, but requires some level of management to maintain healthy populations..12 Rhinoclemmys melanosterna is listed in this category given its wide distribution over areas that have not been heavily affected by deforestation, including the entire Colombian Pacific coast and major national parks in Ecuador: Awá Ethnic and Forest Reserve and Cayapas Mataje Ecological Reserve. Therefore, the species is considered to be facing no major immediate extinction threats. However, populations outside protected areas in Ecuador and some parts of Colombia are likely declining due to habitat loss and indiscriminate harvesting. Adult turtles are hunted for medicinal use, consumption, or to be sold as pets.3,13,14 These threats, in combination with the species’ natural low fecundity,12 may result in R. melanosterna being included in a threatened category in the future.

Distribution: Rhinoclemmys melanosterna has a broad distribution range across the Chocó biogeographic region, from southeastern Panamá, through the Colombian Pacific coast, to extreme northwestern Ecuador.1,5 In Colombia, the species also occurs in the Caribbean and Magdalena basins.3 In Ecuador, R. melanosterna has been recorded at elevations between 0 and 243 m (Fig. 2).

Distribution of Rhinoclemmys melanosterna in Ecuador

Figure 2: Distribution of Rhinoclemmys melanosterna in Ecuador. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.

Etymology: The generic name Rhinoclemmys, which comes from the Greek words rhinos (meaning “nose”) and klemmys (meaning “tortoise”),15 refers to the protuberant snout of some species of the genus.16 The specific epithet melanosterna, which comes from the Greek words melas (meaning “black”) and sternon (meaning “chest”),15 refers to black plastron.

See it in the wild: Although Colombian Wood-Turtles are common in the trade of exotic species in Ecuador, they are rarely encountered in the wild. Most recent observations come from towns along the Cayapas and Santiago rivers. In these areas, the turtles are most easily found by walking through swamps and slow-moving streams or by setting up pitfall traps with fruit bait in marshy areas.

Special thanks to Roy and Laurie Averill-Murray for symbolically adopting the Colombian Wood-Turtle and helping bring the Reptiles of Ecuador book project to life.

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Authors: Helena Agudelo-González,aAffiliation: Semillero de Investigación BioHerp, Universidad de los Llanos, Villavicencio, Colombia. Juan Acosta-Ortiz,aAffiliation: Semillero de Investigación BioHerp, Universidad de los Llanos, Villavicencio, Colombia. and Andrés F. Aponte-GutiérrezbAffiliation: Grupo de Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.,cAffiliation: Fundación Biodiversa Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.

Editor: Alejandro ArteagadAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.

Photographers: Jose VieiraeAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,fAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.

How to cite? Agudelo-González H, Acosta-Ortiz J, Aponte-Gutiérrez AF (2022) Colombian Wood-Turtle (Rhinoclemmys melanosterna). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/DTSH6752

Literature cited:

  1. Rhodin AGJ, Iverson JB, Bour R, Fritz U, Georges A, Shaffer HB, van Dijk PP (2021) Turtles of the world: annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Chelonian Research Monographs 8: 1–472. DOI: 10.3854/crm.8.checklist.atlas.v9.2021
  2. Medem F (1962) La distribución geográfica y ecología de los Crocodylia y Testudinata en el Departamento del Chocó. Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas, y Naturales 11: 279–303.
  3. Echeverri-García LP, Carr JL, Garcés-Restrepo MF, Galvis CA, Giraldo A (2012) Rhinoclemmys melanosterna. In: Páez VP, Morales-Betancourt MA, Lasso CA, Castaño-Mora OV, Bock BC (Eds) Biología y conservación de las tortugas continentales de Colombia. Serie Editorial Recursos Hidrobiológicos y Pesqueros Continentales de Colombia, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH), Bogotá, 308–315.
  4. Vargas-Ramírez M, Carr JL, Fritz U (2013) Complex phylogeography in Rhinoclemmys melanosterna: conflicting mitochondrial and nuclear evidence suggests past hybridization (Testudines: Geoemydidae). Zootaxa 3670: 238–254. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3670.2.8
  5. Rueda-Almonacid JV, Carr JL, Mittermeier RA, Rodríguez-Mahecha JV, Mast RB, Vogt RC, Rhodin AGJ, de la Ossa-Velásquez J, Rueda JN, Mittermeier CG (2007) Las tortugas y los cocodrilianos de los países andinos del trópico. Conservación Internacional, Bogotá, 538 pp.
  6. Páez VP, Restrepo A (2012) Clave para las familias y especies de tortugas continentales de Colombia. In: Páez VP, Morales-Betancourt MA, Lasso CA, Castaño-Mora OV, Bock BC (Eds) Biología y conservación de las tortugas continentales de Colombia. Serie Editorial Recursos Hidrobiológicos y Pesqueros Continentales de Colombia, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH), Bogotá, 227–233.
  7. Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
  8. Cárdenas-Arévalo G, Castaño-Mora OV, Rivera-Díaz O (2010) Hábitats de quelonios continentales en el departamento de Córdoba. In: Rangel OJ (Ed) Colombia diversidad biótica IX: Ciénagas Córdoba: Biodiversidad, ecología, y manejo ambiental. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, 457–476.
  9. MECN (2010) Serie herpetofauna del Ecuador: El Chocó esmeraldeño. Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Quito, 232 pp.
  10. Páez VP (2012) Historias de vida en tortugas. In: Páez VP, Morales-Betancourt MA, Lasso CA, Castaño-Mora OV, Bock BC (Eds) Biología y conservación de las tortugas continentales de Colombia. Serie Editorial Recursos Hidrobiológicos y Pesqueros Continentales de Colombia, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH), Bogotá, 189–203.
  11. Iverson JB (2014) Rhinoclemmys melanosterna (Colombian wood turtle): longevity. Herpetological Review 45: 60.
  12. Morales-Betancourt MA, Lasso CA, Páez VP, Bock BC (2005) Libro rojo de reptiles de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá, 257 pp.
  13. Carr JL, Almendáriz A, Simmons JE, Nielsen MT (2014) Subsistence hunting for turtles in northwestern Ecuador. Acta Biológica Colombiana 19: 401–413. DOI: 10.15446/abc.v19n3.42886
  14. Morales-Betancourt MA, Lasso CA, Trujillo F, de la Ossa J, Forero G, Páez VP (2012) Amenazas a las poblaciones de tortugas continentales de Colombia. In: Páez VP, Morales-Betancourt MA, Lasso CA, Castaño-Mora OV, Bock BC (Eds) Biología y conservación de las tortugas continentales de Colombia. Serie Editorial Recursos Hidrobiológicos y Pesqueros Continentales de Colombia, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH), Bogotá, 453–492.
  15. Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
  16. Ernst C (1981) Rhinoclemmys Fitzinger, Neotropical forest terrapins. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 274: 1–2.

Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Rhinoclemmys melanosterna in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.

CountryProvinceLocalitySource
ColombiaCaucaGuapiiNaturalist
ColombiaCaucaRío SaijaMHN-Uca 355
ColombiaCaucaTimbiquíiNaturalist
ColombiaNariñoCharco del GalloiNaturalist
ColombiaNariñoDirección General Marítima (DIMAR)Pinto-Erazo et al. 2020
ColombiaNariñoEl CharcoiNaturalist
ColombiaNariñoEl PalmichalPinto-Erazo et al. 2020
ColombiaNariñoEstación Mar AgrícolaPinto-Erazo et al. 2020
ColombiaNariñoLa VegaiNaturalist
ColombiaNariñoRío CurayICN 7761
ColombiaNariñoTumacoMLS 244
ColombiaNariñoUniversidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede NariñoPinto-Erazo et al. 2020
ColombiaNariñoZapotaliNaturalist
EcuadorCarchiTobar DonosoYánez-Muñoz 2009
EcuadorEsmeraldasBorbónCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasCachabiGBIF
EcuadorEsmeraldasCarondeletMHNG 2529.059
EcuadorEsmeraldasChisperoMorales 2004
EcuadorEsmeraldasConcepciónCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasEl CauchalEsteban Suárez, pers. comm.
EcuadorEsmeraldasEl PanCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasEstero El CeiboUSNM 281885
EcuadorEsmeraldasFinca La EsperanzaCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasLa BocaCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasLa TolaCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasMolinaiNaturalist
EcuadorEsmeraldasMolinitaCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasNueva EsperanzaCarr et al. 2014
EcuadorEsmeraldasOrillas del Río MiraDHMECN 6764
EcuadorEsmeraldasPétalosiNaturalist
EcuadorEsmeraldasPlaya GrandeCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasRío BogotáCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasRío HuimbiCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasRío HuimbicitoCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasRío SantiagoCarr & Almendáriz 1990
EcuadorEsmeraldasSan José de TaguaCarr et al. 2014
EcuadorEsmeraldasSan LorenzoiNaturalist
EcuadorEsmeraldasTundaloma LodgeThis work