Mauremys caspica, 125

Mauremys caspica (Gmelin 1774) –
Caspian Turtle, Caspian Terrapin, West Asian Stripe-necked Terrapin

Melita Vamberger¹*, Stephen D. Busack²*, Dinçer Ayaz³, 
Uwe Fritz¹, and Liudmila F. Mazanaeva⁴

¹Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Museum für Tierkunde, 
Königsbrücker Landstr. 159, 01109 Dresden, Germany 
[[email protected]; [email protected]];
²Emeritus Director, Research and Collections, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA [[email protected]];
³Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, 
35100 İzmir, Türkiye (Turkey) [[email protected]];
⁴Dagestan State University, Department of Zoology and Physiology, 
Makhachkala, Russia [[email protected]]
*Contributed equally to the manuscript

Summary. – The Caspian Turtle, Mauremys caspica (family Geoemydidae), is a small freshwater turtle species widespread and plentiful throughout the Middle East. Although fully aquatic, it is often found in extremely arid habitats, where high concentrations may exist in small streams. It is rarely used for food, but due to landscape alteration, pollution and intensification of water management, M. caspica is increasingly threatened. The maximum straight-line carapace length (SCL) has been recorded as 25.0 cm for both sexes; however, females are usually larger on average, but males in some populations attain the same size as females.  

Distribution. – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Russia (Dagestan), Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Turkmenistan.

Synonymy. – Testudo caspica Gmelin 1774, Emys caspica, Clemmys caspica, Clemmys (Clemmys) caspica, Terrapene caspica, Clemmys caspica caspica, Mauremys caspica, Mauremys caspica caspica, Testudo ecaudata Daudin 1801 (nomen novum and senior homonym), Emys caspia Rüppell in Gray 1830 (nomen novum), Testudo caspia, Clemmys caspia, Clemmys caspia caspia, Emys grayi Günther 1869 (junior homonym), Emmenia grayi, Mauremys caspica siebenrocki Wischuf in Maran 1996 (nomen nudum), Mauremys caspica schiras Wischuf in Maran 1996 (nomen nudum), Mauremys caspica ventrimaculata Wischuf and Fritz 1996, Mauremys caspica siebenrocki Wischuf and Fritz in Fritz and Wischuf 1997.

Subspecies. – None currently recognized. Two clusters of mitochondrial haplotypes (eastern and western portions of the range) and four microsatellite clusters have been delineated, defining four Management Units for conservation.

Status. – IUCN 2024 Red List: Global: Least Concern [Not Listed] (LC, assessed 1996); Regional: Europe: Vulnerable (VU A2ac+3c, assessed 2004); TFTSG Provisional Red List: Least Concern (LC, assessed 2011); CITES: Not Listed.