Spotted pond turtle, Indian spotted turtle
The Black pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii) is a freshwater turtle found only in South Asia. The part of its scientific name, hamiltonii, is in honor of Scottish botanist and ichthyologist Francis Hamilton.
The Black pond turtle is mainly black with small yellowish or white spots. Its carapace is much elevated and has three interrupted keels or series of nodose prominences corresponding to the vertebral and costal shields. The posterior border of the carapace is strongly serrated in young, but feebly in the adult. The nuchal is moderate, broader posteriorly than anteriorly. The first vertebral is not or scarcely broader anteriorly than posteriorly. The second and third vertebrals are broader than long in the young, nearly as long as broad in the adult, and narrower than the costals. The plastron is large, angulated laterally and truncated anteriorly. The posterior lobe of the plastron is much narrower than the opening of the shell, nearly as long as the width of the bridge, deeply notched posteriorly. The head is rather large. The snout is very short and not projecting. The upper jaw is emarginated mesially. The width of the mandible at the symphysis nearly equals the horizontal diameter of the orbit. A large shield covers the upper surface of the snout and the crown, sometimes divided into three, one shield around the upper jaw and one on each side between the eye and the ear. The digits are webbed to the claws. The tail is extremely short. The shell is dark brown or blackish, elegantly marked with yellow spots and radiating streaks, and the soft parts are dark brown or blackish, with round yellow spots, largest on the head and neck.
Black pond turtles occur in southern Pakistan (Indus and Ganges River drainages), northeastern India (Assam), Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. They inhabit shallow, standing waters with thick vegetation, such as ponds, rivers, oxbow lakes, and marshes.
Black pond turtles live both on land and in water. During warm days they usually stay submerged in the water and become most active at dusk and dawn. Black pond turtles are silent and spend their time singly. They communicate with each other during the breeding season using non-vocal low-frequency sounds like hissing and grunting.
Black pond turtles are omnivores, however, they mainly feed on various aquatic invertebrates including snails, insects, freshwater crustaceans, and dragonfly larvae. They also eat a wide range of vegetable matter.
Black pond turtles lay their eggs between February and late May. Females dig a bowl-shaped nest in the soil concealed within vegetation. They lay 2 clutches during the breeding season consisting of 12-36 eggs; however, the second clutch is usually smaller. Incubation takes around 50-60 days. In captivity, young Black pond turtles become reproductively mature between 6 and 8 years of age.
The main threats to Black pond turtles include habitat loss due to the expansion of agricultural land, destruction of nesting habitat, and illegal pet trade. These turtles also often get caught and drown in fishing nets.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Black pond turtle total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
