Trachemys ornata

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

View Printer Friendly

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	REPTILIA	TESTUDINES	EMYDIDAE

Scientific Name:

Trachemys ornata

Species Authority:

(Gray, 1830)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Ornate Slider

Synonym/s:

Emys ornata Gray, 1830

Taxonomic Notes:

This taxon has traditionally been considered to be a subspecies of Trachemys scripta (Legler 1990), but it was elevated to full species rank by Seidel (2002).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Vulnerable B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) ver 3.1
Year Published:	2007
Assessor/s:	Frost, D., Hammerson, G. & Gadsden, H.
Reviewer/s:	Buskirk, J.R. & Rhodin, A.G.J. (Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Red List Authority)
Justification: Listed as Vulnerable, because its extent of occurrence is less than 20,000 km² and its area of occupancy is probably less than 2,000 km², its distribution is probably severely fragmented, and there is a probably continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is endemic to the Pacific coastal region of western Mexico from southern Sinaloa and northern Nayarit (Seidel 2002). A subpopulation in Guerrero attributed to this species by Iverson (1992) was left unassigned by Legler (1990) and Seidel (2002).
Countries:	Native: Mexico
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	No information is available.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Almost no information specific to T. ornata is available; most information in older literature under T. ornata pertains to T. venusta. By analogy with other MesoAmerican Trachemys species, this is likely an inhabitant of various standing and slow-moving waterbodies with abundant aquatic vegetation, feeding opportunistically, and producing several clutches of about 20 eggs after maturing at 4 to 8 years of age.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Almost no information specific to T. ornata is available; most information in older literature under T. ornata pertains to T. venusta. By analogy with other MesoAmerican Trachemys species, this is likely an inhabitant of various standing and slow-moving waterbodies with abundant aquatic vegetation, feeding opportunistically, and producing several clutches of about 20 eggs after maturing at 4 to 8 years of age.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	No specific information available. It occurs in an area of heavy commercial agriculture, and falling water tables due to deep wells, so habitat loss and chemical pollution are likely.

Major Threat(s):

No specific information available. It occurs in an area of heavy commercial agriculture, and falling water tables due to deep wells, so habitat loss and chemical pollution are likely.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Turtles in general are protected from exploitation under Mexican wildlife and natural resource legislation. Status, distribution and natural history studies are urgently required, as is taxonomic examination of the supposed Guerrero population (Legler 1990). Surveys of Meseta de Cacaxtla FFPA (509 sq. km, cat.VI) and other sites in coastal Sinaloa and Nayarit would be desirable, and if it proves not present, establishing a protected area containing a large viable population of this species would be a high priority.

Conservation Actions:

Turtles in general are protected from exploitation under Mexican wildlife and natural resource legislation. Status, distribution and natural history studies are urgently required, as is taxonomic examination of the supposed Guerrero population (Legler 1990). Surveys of Meseta de Cacaxtla FFPA (509 sq. km, cat.VI) and other sites in coastal Sinaloa and Nayarit would be desirable, and if it proves not present, establishing a protected area containing a large viable population of this species would be a high priority.

Citation:	Frost, D., Hammerson, G. & Gadsden, H. 2007. Trachemys ornata. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided