Yellow Blotched Sawback

Tagged: animal, cat, insect

Graptemys flavimaculata – Map turtles are sometimes called “sawbacks” because of the toothlike projections down the center of their shell. The yellow-blotched sawback increasingy faces threats of pollution in its river habitat. Of the 12 or so species of map turtle, seven are in decline. The yellow-blotched sawback has the smallest range, living mainly along the Pascagoula River and the Leaf and Chickasawhay Rivers in Mississippi. Exports of map turtles to Britain, Europe, Japan, and Taiwan rose from 325 in 1985 to 84,546 in 1995. It is not known whether the yellow­blotched was among this number, but it has been taken in the past by private and commercial collectors.

Many turtles sold in the trade are said to have been farmed, but it is claimed that adults are taken from the wild to replenish breeding stocks. When the yellow-blotched sawbacks were placed on the IUCN Endangered Species List as Threatened in 1991, many aspects of their behavior and biology were unknown. However, recent studies are providing more information. In the wild females tend to live on mollusks, while males prefer aquatic plants, insects, and larvae. Females become mature when they are about 5 inches (13 cm) long, males when they are about 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) long. In zoo collections females have produced small clutches of between one and five eggs, sometimes laying two or three clutches in a year. The low breeding rate is a problem for a declining species.

Toxic Rivers

Yellow-blotched sawbacks are adapted to living in clean, slow- to moderate-flowing rivers where they use the sandy river banks and sandbars for nesting. They like to bask, making use of rocks or fallen logs for the activity. Most turtle species will only bask in warm, sunny weather, but the yellow-blotched sawbacks will bask even when temperatures are low or when it is raining; This behavior leaves them vulnerable to being killed by thoughtless people who use them as target practice. However, today, as in the past, the greatest threat is from habitat alteration and destruction. As human settlement spread, trees along the rivers were felled for timber and the land cleared for building. Turtle nesting and basking sites were lost as sandbars and beaches were excavated to improve navigation. Turtle food was swept away during these activities, and some areas of the river became unsuitable for the turtles because of their greater depth and increased water flow. Industries sprang up along the rivers and began to dump waste products into the water. They killed off food sources, in turn killing off the turtles

Storm water drains, as well as the construction of dams, levees (embankments to protect against flooding), and flood walls have so altered the riversides that determining the original natural habitat of the yellow-blotched turtle is virtually impossible. In many areas increased recreational use of the rivers and adjacent banks is also obstructing efforts to improve the habitat. Camper vans and offroad vehicles also cause problems for nesting turtles. Some reserves have been established-notably the Pascagoula River Wildlife Management Area, which covers 37,000 acres (15,000 ha) of state-protected land in Mississippi. However, pollution threats from upstream still put the turtles at risk.

Protective Measures

The turtle’s future lies in habitat protection and improvement, especially the reduction of effluent. The species is now protected at both state and federal levels. In some areas of turtle habitat roads are gated and entry prohibited, but signs are ignored by collectors and others. Protection against collecting and deliberate killing requires persuasion and education. Captive breeding in zoos and private collections has been successful and could help maintain numbers, as long as this goes hand-in-hand with a conservation program for the turtle’s river habitat.

The yellow-blotched sawback map turtle basks on riverbanks, rocks, and logs, a habit that makes it vulnerable to unscrupulous hunters.

Data:
Yellow-blotched sawback map turtle
Graptemys flavimaculata

• Family: Emydidae
• World population: Unknown
• Distribution: The Pascagoula River system in Mississippi
• Habitat: Rivers with slow to medium currents and sandy banks for nesting
• Size: Males 2.7-4 in (7-11 cm); females 6-7 in (15-17 cm)
• Form: Green-brown shell with yellow blotches; yellow and black stripes on head and limbs; yellowish mark behind each eye; ridge of toothlike projections along back
• Diet: Plants and insects
• Breeding: Between 1 and 5 eggs per clutch; 2-3 clutches per year­
• Related endangered species: Barbour’s map turtle (Graptemys barboun); Cagle’s map turtle (G. caglei); Escambia map turtle (G. ernsti); Pascagoula map turtle (G. gibbonsi); ringed map turtle (G. oculifera); Texas map turtle (G. versa)

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