You are here » home › advanced search › search results › Mauremys leprosa

Mauremys leprosa (SCHWEIGGER, 1812)

iNaturalist logo

Can you confirm these amateur observations of Mauremys leprosa?

Add your own observation of
Mauremys leprosa »

Find more photos by Google images search: Google images

Higher TaxaGeoemydidae (Geoemydinae), Testudinoidea, Testudines (turtles)
SubspeciesMauremys leprosa leprosa (SCHWEIGGER 1812)
Mauremys leprosa saharica SCHLEICH 1996 
Common NamesE: Mediterranian Turtle
G: Spanische Wasserschildkröte, Maurische Bachschildkröte
D: Moorse Beekschildpad
saharica: Saharan Pond Turtle 
SynonymEmys leprosa SCHWEIGGER 1812
Emys caspica var. leprosa — BOETTGER 1874
Clemmys leprosa — BOULENGER 1889
Clemmys leprosa — FEJERVARY 1927
Clemmys caspica leprosa — LOVERIDGE & WILLIAMS 1957
Mauremys caspica leprosa — MALKMUS 1983
Mauremys leprosa — ERNST & BARBOUR 1989: 169
Mauremys leprosa — ENGELMANN et al 1993
Mauremys leprosa — SCHLEICH, KÄSTLE & KABISCH 1996: 145
Mauremys caspica leprosa — OBST 2003: 17
Mauremys leprosa — RHODIN et al. 2010
Mauremys leprosa — SPEYBROECK et al. 2020
Mauremys leprosa — TTWG 2021

Mauremys leprosa leprosa (SCHWEIGGER 1812)
Emys marmorea SPIX 1824
Clemmys sigriz MICHAHELLES 1829
Emys sigritzii GRAY (ex errore) 1831
Emys vulgaris GRAY 1831
Emys sigriz — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1835: 240
Emys marmorea — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1835: 248
Emys Sigris [sic] — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 224
Emys Marmorea — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 225
Emys laticeps GRAY 1855: 68
Emys fuliginosus GRAY 1860: 149
Clemmys leprosa — STRAUCH 1862
Mauremys laniaria GRAY 1869: 500
Emys flavipes GRAY 1869
Emys fraseri GRAY 1869
Emys fraseri GRAY 1873: 146 (?)
Emys lamaria GRAY (error typographicus) 1873
Mauremys leprosa atlantica SCHLEICH 1996
Mauremys leprosa erhardi SCHLEICH 1996
Mauremys leprosa marokkensis SCHLEICH 1996
Mauremys leprosa wernerkaestlei SCHLEICH 1996
Mauremys leprosa leprosa — RHODIN et al. 2010
Mauremys leprosa leprosa — BERTOLERO & BUSACK 2017
Mauremys leprosa leprosa — TTWG 2021

Mauremys leprosa saharica SCHLEICH 1996
Mauremys leprosa zizi SCHLEICH 1996
Mauremys leprosa vanderhaeghei SCHLEICH 1996
Mauremys leprosa vanmeerhaeghei BOUR & MARAN 1999
Mauremys leprosa vanmerhaeghei — BOUR & MARAN 1999
Mauremys leprosa saharica — FRITZ et al. 2005
Mauremys leprosa vanmeerhaeghei — FRITZ et al. 2005
Mauremys leprosa saharica — RHODIN et al. 2010
Mauremys leprosa saharica — BERTOLERO & BUSACK 2017
Mauremys leprosa saharica — TTWG 2021 
DistributionSpain (introduced to Mallorca) Portugal, France,
W Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, Senegal ?, Benin, Niger, Mauritania, Gambia

all subspecies described by SCHLEICH 1996 are from Morocco.

saharica: southern Morocco, eastern Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania (?); Type locality: Fort Bou Jerif, Goulmine, Morocco.  
Reproductionoviparous. 
TypesHolotype: MNHN-RA 1934 (by monotypy); MNHN according to Loveridge and Williams (1957: 195): erroneously MNHN-RA 7936 according to R. Bour (pers. comm., cited in Iverson 1992: 143). See Bour & Maran (1998).
Holotype: ZSM [alantica]
Holotype: ZSM [erhardi]
Holotype: ZSM [marokkensis]
Holotype: ZSM [wernerkaestlei]
Holotype: ZSM 1993/200 [saharica]
Holotype: ZSM [zizi] 
DiagnosisAdditional details, e.g. a detailed description or comparisons (2122 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentDoes not occur in Mali (Joger & Lambert 1996).

Synonymy: mostly after Rhodin et al. 2010.

Mauremys leprosa vanmeerhaeghei was named after Bertrand Vanmeerhaeghe, a French chemist working for the Alstom group and a friend of Roger bour; Bertrand was born in Tourcoing, France, on August 24, 1950 and died in Lyon, France, on May 2, 1995.

Distribution: see Bertolero & Busack 2017, and Toledo et al. 2021 for maps.

Type species: Emys fuliginosus GRAY 1860 is the type species of the genus Mauremys GRAY 1869: 500.

Habitat: freshwater (Rivers, swamps, ponds) 
Etymology“leprosa” is from the Latin word lepra, which means "scaly", or leprous, because the shell surface is often corroded by bacterial infections.

Genus named after its occurrence in Mauritania or the area which used to be the ancient Berber Kingdom of Mauretania, which existed from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century in North-West Africa. “-emys” is derived from the Greek word for freshwater turtle, “emus”. 
References
  • Arlo Hinckley, David Herrero & Andrea García de Castro Vidal 2014. Use of a subterranean habitat by the Mediterranean stripe-necked terrapin (Mauremys leprosa). Herpetological Bulletin (130) - get paper here
  • Barnett, Linda K. & Emms, Craig 2005. Common reptiles of The Gambia. Rare Repro, Hailsham, East Sussex, 24 pp.
  • BARTH, Dana; DETLEF BERNHARD; GUIDO FRITZSCH & UWE FRITZ 2004. The freshwater turtle genus Mauremys (Testudines, Geoemydidae) — a textbook example of an east–west disjunction or a taxonomic misconcept? Zoologica Scripta 33 (3): 213–221 - get paper here
  • Bauer, Aaron M.; Jonathan C. DeBoer , Dylan J. Taylor 2017. Atlas of the Reptiles of Libya. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 64 (8): 155-318 - get paper here
  • Berroneau, M. et al. 2010. Guide des Amphibiens et Reptiles d’Aquitaine. Association Cistude Nature, 180 pp.
  • Bertolero, A. & Busack, S.D. 2017. Mauremys leprosa (Schoepff in Schweigger 1812) – Mediterranean Pond Turtle, Spanish Terrapin, Mediterranean Stripe-necked Terrapin. Chelonian Research Monographs 5(10):102.1–19. doi: 10.3854/crm.5.102.leprosa.v1.2017; - get paper here
  • Bezaz, Y. I., Hadjab, R., Khammar, H., Redjaimia, L., & Saheb, M. 2021. First data on the diversity of the herpetofauna of the Oum El Bouaghi Region (Northeast of Algeria). Ecol. Env. & Cons. 27 (3): 983-989
  • Bour, R. 2008. Global diversity of turtles (Chelonii; Reptilia) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia 595:593–598 - get paper here
  • Bour, R. & M. JEROME 1999. Taxonomie de Mauremys leprosa (SCHWEIGGER, 1812) dans le sud du Maroc: la "tortue aux yeux bleus" (Reptilia, Chelonii, Geoemydidae). Manouria, 1998, 1 (2): 22-52
  • Bour, R. and J. Maran 1998. Taxinomie de Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger, l8l2) dans le sud du Maroc : la "Tortue aux yeux bleus" (Reptilia, Chelonii, Geoemydidae). Manouria 1(2): 22-52
  • Busack, S.D. & Lawson, R. 2008. Morphological, mitochondrial DNA and allozyme evolution in representative amphibians and reptiles inhabiting each side of the Strait of Gibraltar. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 94, 445–461 - get paper here
  • CARTAÑÁ, SANTIAGO POCH. 2022. Nocturnal winter activity of the Mediterranean Pond Turtle (Mauremys leprosa). Reptiles & Amphibians 29(1): 296–297. - get paper here
  • CASTRO-EXPÓSITO, ARANCHA DE; ENRIQUE GARCÍA-MUÑOZ & FRANCISCO GUERRERO. 2021. Reptile diversity in a Mediterranean wetlands landscape (Alto Guadalquivir region, southeastern Spain): are they affected by human impacts? Acta Herpetologica 16(1): 27–36. - get paper here
  • Chessman, B. C. 2024. The conundrum of turtle and tortoise basking: A critical review. Journal of Zoology - get paper here
  • Da Silva, E. 1995. Notes on Clutch Size and Egg Size of Mauremys leprosa from Spain Journal of Herpetology 29 (3): 484-485. - get paper here
  • Díaz-Paniagua,Carmen, Ana Cristina Andreu, Adolfo Marco, Marta Nuez, Judit Hidalgo-Vila, Natividad Perez-Santigosa 2014. Data on nesting, incubation, and hatchling emergence in the two native aquatic turtle species (Emys orbicularis and Mauremys leprosa) from Doñana National Park. Basic and Applied Herpetology 28: 145-151 - get paper here
  • Duméril, A. M.C., G. BIBRON & A. DUMÉRIL 1854. Erpétologie générale ou Histoire Naturelle complète des Reptiles. Vol. 9. Paris, XX + 440 S. - get paper here
  • Duméril, A.M.C., and G. Bibron. 1835. Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles, Vol. 2. Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris, iv + 680 p. - get paper here
  • Elbahi A, Lawton C, Oubrou W, El Bekkay M, Hermas J, Dugon M 2022. Reptile biodiversity in Souss-Massa National Park: an internationally important hotspot in the Mediterranean region. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e79088 - get paper here
  • Engelmann, W.E. et al. 1993. Lurche und Kriechtiere Europas. Neumann Verlag (Radebeul, Germany), 440 pp.
  • Ernst,C.H. and Barbour,R.W. 1989. Turtles of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. - London
  • Escoriza D 2018. Patterns of occurrence of semi-aquatic reptiles in highly invaded Mediterranean rivers. NeoBiota 38: 23-35 - get paper here
  • FEJERVARY De, G.J. 1927. On a small collection of Reptiles from Morocco. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (9) 20: 512-518 - get paper here
  • Feldman, C. R. & Parham, James Ford 2004. Molecular Systematics of Old World Stripe-Necked Turtles (Testudines: Mauremys). Asiatic Herpetological Research 10: 28-37 - get paper here
  • Fernández-Ortín, Daniel; Gregorio Sánchez-Montes, Íñigo Martínez-Solano 2019. A catalogue of reptiles of Monfragüe National Park (Spain), with molecular characterization of populations of Blanus WAGLER, 1830 in this protected area. Basic and Applied Herpetology - get paper here
  • Franch, Marc; Albert Martínez-Silvestre 2016. First case of a cutaneous horn in the Mediterranean stripe-necked terrapin (Mauremys leprosa). Herpetology Notes 9: 287-290 - get paper here
  • FRANCH, MARC; GUSTAVO A. LLORENTE, MARIA RIERADEVALL, ALBERT MONTORI & MIGUEL CAÑEDO-ARGÜELLES. 2022. Coexistence of Native and Invasive Freshwater Turtles: The Llobregat Delta (NE Iberian Peninsula) as a Case Study. Land 11(9): 1582. - get paper here
  • Fritz, U.; Fritzsch, G.; Lehr, E.; Ducotterd, J.M. & Müller, A. 2005. The Atlas Mountains, not the Strait of Gibraltar, as a biogeographic barrier for Mauremys leprosa (Reptilia: Testudines). Salamandra 41 (3): 97-106 - get paper here
  • Fritz, Uwe; Barata, Mafalda; Busack, Stephen D.; Fritzsch, Guido; Castilho, Rita 2006. Impact of mountain chains, sea straits and peripheral populations on genetic and taxonomic structure of a freshwater turtle, Mauremys leprosa (Reptilia, Testudines, Geoemydidae). Zoologica Scripta 35 (1): 97-108 - get paper here
  • Geniez, P.; Mateo, J.A.; Geniez, M. & Pether, J. 2004. The amphibians and reptiles of the Western Sahara (former Spanish Sahara) and adjacent regions. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt, 228 pp. [reviewed in Reptilia GB 44: 81]
  • Gray, J.E. 1860. Description of a new species of Emys lately living the gardens of the Zoological Society. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) 6: 148-149 - get paper here
  • Gray, J.E. 1869. Description of Mauremys laniaria, a new freshwater tortoise. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1869: 499-500 - get paper here
  • Gray,J.E. 1855. Description of a new genus and some new species of tortoises. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) 15: 67-69 - get paper here
  • Gray,J.E. 1873. Notes on tortoises. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (4) 11: 143-149 - get paper here
  • Grossmann, Wolfgang 2013. Mauremys leprosa saharica SCHLEICH 1996. Sauria 35 (3): 2 - get paper here
  • Highfield, A.C. 1996. An Introduction To The Mauremys Turtles Of The Mediterranean. Reptile & Amphibian Magazine (Feb 1996): 22-26
  • Hoogmoed,M.S. and Gruber,U. 1983. Spix and Wagler type specimens of reptiles and amphibians in the Natural History Musea in Munich (Germany) and Leiden (The Netherlands). Spixiana Suppl. 9: 319-415 - get paper here
  • HU, Qiping; HUANG Chengxin, XU Shuru, ZHANG Qiuming, MA Ning, ZHONG Hanming 2013. Primary Phylogenies of Mauremys guangxiensis and Mauremys iversoni Inferred from DNA Sequences of Mitochondrial ND4 Gene and Nuclear c-mos Gene. Sichuan Journal of Zoology 32 (2): 180-186 - get paper here
  • Keller, C. 1997. Discriminant Analysis for Sex Determination in Juvenile Mauremys leprosa Journal of Herpetology 31 (3): 456-459. - get paper here
  • Kolodziej, K. & Cenker, C. 2010. Unterwegs im Schmelztiegel der Arten - Herping in Marokko. Elaphe 2020 (3): 14-25
  • Kwet, A. 2010. Reptilien und Amphibien Europas. Kosmos-Verlag, Stuttgart, 252 pp.
  • Kwet, Axel & Benny Trapp 2014. Liste der Reptilien Europas. Draco 15 (60): 72-79 - get paper here
  • Kwet, Axel & Benny Trapp 2014. Die spanische Reptilienfauna. Draco 15 (60): 26-39 - get paper here
  • López, P., I. Marcos & J. Martín 2005. Effect of habitat-related visibility on escape decisions of the Spanish Terrapin Mauremys leprosa Amphibia-Reptilia, 26(4): 557-561. - get paper here
  • Loulida, Soumia; Pedro Segurado, Mohamed Naimi, and Mohammed Znari 2021. Niche differentiation among genetic lineages in the Mediterranean Pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa, across its geographical range. Amphibia-Reptilia 42 (2): 227–240 - get paper here
  • Malkmus, R. 1983. Nachtrag zur Verbreitung der Amphibien und Reptilien Portugals. Salamandra 19 (1-2): 71-83 - get paper here
  • Malkmus, R. 1990. Herpetofaunistische Daten aus Nordostportugal. Salamandra 26 (2-3): 165-176 - get paper here
  • Malkmus, R. 1995. Die Amphibien und Reptilien Portugals, Madeiras und der Azoren. Die Neue Brehm-Bücherei, Bd. 621. Westarp Wissenschaften (Magdeburg)/Spektrum Akademischer Verlag (Heidelberg)
  • Malkmus, R. 2020. Beobachtungen an Mauremys leprosa in Portugal. Elaphe 2020 (5): 74
  • Malkmus, Rudolf 1996. Zur nördlichen Verbreitungsgrenze von Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger, 1812) und Tarentola mauritanica (Linnaeus, 1758) in Portugal (Testudines: Emydidae; Squamata: Sauria: Gekkonidae). Herpetozoa 9 (3/4): 161-165 - get paper here
  • Maran, Jérôme & Simon Rouot 2021. Das Refuge des Tortues in Bessières. Elaphe 2021 (4): 80-87
  • MARAN, Jérôme 2021. Premières observations sur la reproduction en conditions naturelles de deux espèces de tortues dulçaquicoles asiatiques en France métropolitaine. Bull. Soc. Herp. France 177: 81-89
  • Martínez del Mármol, Gabriel; D. James Harris, Philippe Geniez, Philip de Pous, and Daniele Salvi 2019. Amphibians and Reptiles of Morocco. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 478 pp - get paper here
  • Muñoz, Alberto and Borja Nicolau 2006. Sexual dimorphism and allometry in the stripe-necked Terrapin, Mauremys leprosa, in Spain. Chelonian Conserv. Biol. 5 (1): 87-92. - get paper here
  • Obst, F.J. 2003. Sumpfschildkröten. Draco 4 (13): 4-18 - get paper here
  • Padial, J. M. 2006. COMMENTED DISTRIBUTIONAL LIST OF THE REPTILES OF MAURITANIA (WEST AFRICA). Graellsia, 62(2): 159-178 - get paper here
  • Palacios, C., C. Urrutia, N. Knapp, M. F. Franch Quintana, A. Bertolero, G. Simon, L. du Preez et al 2015. Demographic structure and genetic diversity of Mauremys leprosa in its northern range reveal new populations and a mixed origin. Salamandra 51 (3): 221-230 - get paper here
  • Parés-Casanova, P.M.; M. Cardoner, C. Raüll, A. Martinez-Silvestre 2020. Plastral asymmetries in young Mediterranean Pond Turtles, Mauremys leprosa leprosa (Schweigger 1812). IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians 27 (3): 496-498 - get paper here
  • Pauwels, Olivier S. G. and Richard Wahlgren 2012. Beolens Bo, Watkins Michael, and Grayson Michael (2011), The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles, The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Russ. J. Herpetol. 19 (4): 352 – 355 - get paper here
  • Pfau, J. 1988. Beitrag zur Verbreitung der Herpetofauna in der Niederalgarve (Portugal). Salamandra 24 (4): 258-275 - get paper here
  • Pinya, Samuel and Miguel A. Carretero. 2011. The Balearic herpetofauna: a species update and review on the evidence. Acta Herpetologica 6 (1): 59-80 - get paper here
  • Rouag R, Ziane N, De Sousa M 2024. A tentative list of reptilian fauna of Algeria and their conservation status. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e120471 - get paper here
  • Schleich, H. H. 1996. Beitrag zur Systematik des Formenkreises von Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger) in Marokko. Spixiana Suppl. 22: 29-59 - get paper here
  • Schleich, H.H., Kästle,W., Kabisch, K. 1996. Amphibians and Reptiles of North Africa. Koeltz, Koenigstein, 627 pp.
  • Schweigger, A.F. 1812. Prodromus Monographia Cheloniorum auctore Schweigger. Königsberg. Arch. Naturwiss. Mathem., 1: 271-368, 406-458.
  • Sindaco, R. & Jeremcenko, V.K. 2008. The reptiles of the Western Palearctic. Edizioni Belvedere, Latina (Italy), 579 pp. - get paper here
  • Speybroeck, Jeroen; Wouter Beukema, Christophe Dufresnes, Uwe Fritz, Daniel Jablonski, Petros Lymberakis, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Edoardo Razzetti, Melita Vamberger, Miguel Vences, Judit Vörös0, Pierre-André Crochet 2020. Species list of the European herpetofauna – 2020 update by the Taxonomic Committee of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica.. Amphibia-Reptilia 41: 139-189 - get paper here
  • Toledo, M. A., de la Concha, A., & Rubio, J. L. 2021. Space use, distribution and conservation of the Spanish pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa Schewigger, 1812). A review (Chordata, Geoemydidae). Bol. R. Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat., 115 - get paper here
  • Trape, J.F.; Trape, S. & Chirio, L. 2012. Lézards, crocodiles et tortues d'Afrique occidentale et du Sahara. IRD Orstom, 503 pp. - get paper here
  • TTWG; Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., Bour, R., Fritz, U., Georges, A., Shaffer, H.B., and van Dijk, P.P. 2021. Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (9th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., van Dijk, P.P., Stanford, C.B., Goode, E.V., Buhlmann, K.A., and Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Chelonian Research Monographs 8:1–472. doi:10.3854/crm.8.checklist.atlas.v9.2021. - get paper here
  • Verissimo, Joana, Paulo Pereira, Susana Lopes, Jose Teixteira, Uwe Fritz and Guillermo Velo-Antón. 2013. Cross-amplification of microsatellite loci for the Mediterranean Stripe-necked Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa). Amphibia-Reptilia 34 (2): 259-262 - get paper here
  • Veríssimo, Joana; Mohamed Znari, Heiko Stuckas, Uwe Fritz, Paulo Pereira, José Teixeira, Marco Arculeo, Federico Marrone, Francesco Sacco, Mohamed Naimi, Christian Kehlmaier, Guillermo Velo-Antón 2016. Pleistocene diversification in Morocco and recent demographic expansion in the Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2016, 119, 943–959; DOI: 10.1111/bij.12849 - get paper here
  • Vroom, A.V. 1978. Verzorging en kweek van de Spaanse beekschildpad, Clemmys caspica leprosa (Schweigger 1812). Lacerta 37 (1): 5-16 - get paper here
  • Werner, Annett 2015. Die Maurische Bachschildkröte (Mauremys leprosa) - Extrembedingungen in Marokko und Portugal. Schildkröten im Fokus. 12 (1): 19-29
 
External links  
Is it interesting? Share with others:

As link to this species use URL address:

https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Mauremys&species=leprosa

without field 'search_param'. Field 'search_param' is used for browsing search result.



Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator