Western Caspian Turtle

Western Caspian Turtle

Mauremys rivulata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Athens

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

13 Verified sightings at Athens
April 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 Athens?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Caspian Turtle sighting in Athens on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 8 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

April

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Western Caspian Turtle in Athens on a given day, against under 5% in February–March, July and November–December, the lowest months.

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

4th of 5

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Western Caspian Turtle sightings, Athens ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Antalya (Turkey, about 50%), 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 Athens (13 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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