Western Caspian Turtle

Western Caspian Turtle

Mauremys rivulata

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Antalya

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

18 Verified sightings at Antalya
September Best month

About the Western Caspian Turtle

The Balkan terrapin or western Caspian terrapin (Mauremys rivulata) is a species of terrapin in the family Geoemydidae. It is found in the eastern Mediterranean region. While technically omnivorous, the terrapins are known to prefer meat. They can grow to 25 cm (10 in) in carapace length, although hatchlings are usually only 3 to 4 cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) in length.

It is found in the Balkan Peninsula (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia), in a number of Mediterranean islands including Crete, Cyprus and Lesvos, and in the Middle East (Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey). On some Greek and Turkish islands where the terrapins are found, they may be threatened with extirpation.

Mauremys rivulata are fairly large, with carapace lengths up to 25 cm (10 in); hatchling turtles of this species are usually between 3 and 4 centimetres (1.2 and 1.6 in) in length. The average strait carapace length is roughly 15 cm (6 in); females are slightly larger. The terrapins' carapaces are black to olive green in colour, and the plastron (the shell on the belly) black, although the latter frequently fades... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:05

Greece · 2023

© sixtyna · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Antalya 🇹🇷 Turkey
~50%
2 Jerusalem 🇮🇱 Israel
~40%
3 Tel Aviv 🇮🇱 Israel
~20%
4 Athens 🇬🇷 Greece
~10%
5 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Turkey
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Zoo Pilsen 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
2 Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos 🇧🇴 Bolivia In captivity
3 Hai Kef 🇮🇱 Israel In captivity
4 Tel Aviv University Zoo 🇮🇱 Israel In captivity
5 Animal - Bird Collection 🇬🇷 Greece In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Western Caspian Turtle in Antalya?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Western Caspian Turtle sighting in Antalya on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 7 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Western Caspian Turtle in Antalya?

April and September

In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Western Caspian Turtle in Antalya on a given day, against about 10% in January and February, the lowest months. Those are among Antalya's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain a month against 180 mm in January.

Is Antalya the best place to see a Western Caspian Turtle?

Yes

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Western Caspian Turtle sightings, Antalya has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Jerusalem (Israel, about 40%) and Tel Aviv (Israel, about 20%).

Where does the Western Caspian Turtle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Western Caspian Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Antalya (18 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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