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Showing posts with label Turtles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turtles. Show all posts

Saturday 18 July 2015

Balkan pond turtle or western Caspian turtle - Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833) - (Γραμμωτή Νεροχελώνα, Ποταμοχελώνα) - Cyprus

Eίδος χελώνας γλυκού νερού 

The Balkan pond turtle or western Caspian turtle (Mauremys rivulata) is a species of turtles in the family Geoemydidae.
Lives in healthy ecosystems of river, lakes and streams with rich waders vegetation and year-round presence of water
Distribution Balkan peninsula, Aegean islands, western Turkey, Cyprus, Middle east.

Αυστηρή προστασία από Ευρωπαϊκή Οδηγία 92/43/ΕΚ
Αυστηρή προστασία από τον Κυπριακό Νόμο 153(Ι)2003

Photos and videos Nicosia by George Konstantinou
























































Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) (Linnaeus, 1758) Καρέτα - Cyprus

See also 


Green sea turtle - Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) Πράσινη Χελώνα - Cyprus



The three turtles of Cyprus - Τα τρία είδη χελώνων της Κύπρου


Αυστηρή προστασία από Ευρωπαϊκή Οδηγία 92/43/ΕΚ
Αυστηρή προστασία από τον Κυπριακό Νόμο 153(Ι)2003
Έχει κηρυχτεί ως «Κινδυνεύον» από την IUCN

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around 90 cm (35 in) long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to 280 cm (110 in) have been discovered. The adult loggerhead sea turtle weighs approximately 135 kg (298 lb), with the largest specimens weighing in at more than 450 kg (1,000 lb). The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish-brown. No external differences in gender are seen until the turtle becomes an adult, the most obvious difference being the adult males have thicker tails and shorter plastrons than the females.
The loggerhead sea turtle is found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. It spends most of its life in saltwater and estuarine habitats, with females briefly coming ashore to lay eggs. The loggerhead sea turtle has a low reproductive rate; females lay an average of four egg clutches and then become quiescent, producing no eggs for two to three years. The loggerhead reaches sexual maturity within 17–33 years and has a lifespan of 47–67 years.
The loggerhead sea turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Its large and powerful jaws serve as an effective tool for dismantling its prey. Young loggerheads are exploited by numerous predators; the eggs are especially vulnerable to terrestrial organisms. Once the turtles reach adulthood, their formidable size limits predation to large marine animals, such as sharks.
Loggerheads are considered an endangered species and are protected by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Untended fishing gear is responsible for many loggerhead deaths. Turtles may also suffocate if they are trapped in fishing trawls. Turtle excluder devices have been implemented in efforts to reduce mortality by providing an escape route for the turtles. Loss of suitable nesting beaches and the introduction of exotic predators have also taken a toll on loggerhead populations. Efforts to restore their numbers will require international cooperation, since the turtles roam vast areas of ocean and critical nesting beaches are scattered across several countries. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia










Photos and video Pafos,Poli Chrisochous,Limni 15/6/2013 by George Konstantinou

Underwater photos and video  by Kostas Aristeidou































Male












Underwater photo by Costas Constantinou



























Friday 17 July 2015

Red-eared slider or Red-eared terrapin -Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1839) - Cyprus

See also

Alien species to Cyprus

 Family Emydidae
Red-eared sliders get their name from the small red slash around their ears. The "slider" part of their name comes from their ability to slide off rocks and logs and into the water quickly. This species was previously known as Troost's turtle in honor of an American  herpetologist; Trachemys scripta troostii is now the scientific name for another subspecies, the Cumberland slider.
Photos Nicosia,Athalassa by George Konstantinou