Marsh terrapin, Crocodile turtle, African side-necked turtle
The African helmeted turtle (Pelomedusa subrufa) is a species of omnivorous side-necked terrapin native to Africa. These turtles spend most of their time in the mud at the bottom of shallow lakes or marshes, and aestivate through the dry season, burying themselves in the mud.
The African helmeted turtle has a black or brown carapace. The top of its tail and limbs are grayish brown, while the underside is yellowish. The male is distinguished by its long, thick tail. A female tends to have a shorter tail and a broader carapace. A hatchling has a shell size of about 3 cm (1.2 in) in length and is olive to black in color. It also has two small tubercles under the chin and musk glands in the sides of the carapace. Uniquely, the genus Pelomedusa does not have a hinged plastron (lower shell). All the other species in the family Pelomedusidae, however, do have this feature with which they can, using muscles, close the plastron to the carapace to cover the head and front limbs. Unlike many chelonians, the African helmeted turtle is able, when it finds itself upside down, to right itself with a vigorous flick of its long muscular neck.
These turtles are found from the Cape Peninsula to Sudan. They can occur as far west as Ghana and as far south as Cape Town. They have also been found in Madagascar and Yemen. African helmeted turtles live in lakes and marshes, and they also occupy rain pools and places that are fertilized. They prefer standing water, such as swamps, pans, dams, and lakes but can also occur along rivers. These turtles try to avoid mountainous and forested regions or desert.
African helmeted turtles are semiaquatic creatures. During wet weather, they will often leave water bodies and embark on long overland journeys. During exceptionally dry weather when water bodies dry up, they will dig into the ground and bury themselves until rains return; they can spend months or even years in such a state. They will also hibernate during very cold weather, and aestivate during unusually hot, dry weather. African helmeted turtles are most active early in the morning and in the evening. They usually spend time singly but may gather in groups when hunting a large prey. Groups of these turtles have been observed capturing and drowning doves that come to drink and these group attacks are often mistaken for crocodiles. African helmeted turtles take all food underwater to be eaten and the fine claws on their feet help them tear their prey apart.
African helmeted turtles are omnivores and eat almost anything. They may also eat carrion. Hatchlings mainly feed on tadpoles of many frog species.
African helmeted turtles can breed throughout the year. The male will follow the female, nodding his head in front of hers. If she is not responsive, she will nip and snap and walk away. If she is willing, she responds by nodding her head or just standing still. The female lays 2 to 10 eggs on average, normally during late spring and early summer. The eggs are placed in a flask-shaped nest about 4 to 7 in (10 to 18 cm) deep. The eggs usually hatch in 75-90 days.
African helmeted turtles are not threatened as of today but they suffer from pollution of the water bodies they live in which is mainly caused by agricultural practices.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the African helmeted turtle total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
