Central American wood turtle

Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima

Irish Name: Turtar coille Meiriceánach Láir
IUCN Status : Not Evaluated

The principal colour of the Central American wood turtles’ body and shell is green. Individuals that are from Costa Rica will showcase bright colours, while Central American wood turtles from Nicaragua will be more subdued in colour. Some turtles have been documented to have yellow and orange swirls and different degrees of black eyespots on their shell. They could also have a bit of red or pink colouration on their head. As a result they have are also called ornate turtles or painted wood turtles. They are mostly terrestrial (living on land); they make their homes near rivers.

Central American wood turtle

Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima

Irish Name: Turtar coille Meiriceánach Láir
IUCN Status : Not Evaluated

The principal colour of the Central American wood turtles’ body and shell is green. Individuals that are from Costa Rica will showcase bright colours, while Central American wood turtles from Nicaragua will be more subdued in colour. Some turtles have been documented to have yellow and orange swirls and different degrees of black eyespots on their shell. They could also have a bit of red or pink colouration on their head. As a result they have are also called ornate turtles or painted wood turtles. They are mostly terrestrial (living on land); they make their homes near rivers.

General Information

Where do they live?

As their name suggests, they live in Central America: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

How long do they live?

The lifespan of the Central American wood turtle in the wild is unknown but the oldest living Central American wood turtle in human care is 30 years old.

What do they eat?

These turtles will forage for food on land and in rivers and streams. They are mostly herbivorous (plant-eaters) and eat green plant matter, grass, flower and fruits. They have been known to eat animal matter sparingly and will forage for slugs, tadpoles and insects too.

Group Name

Turtles do not form pair-bonds or social groups; they live in the wild as solitary animals until they come together for the breeding season.

Zoo Location

South American House

Closest Related Species/Sister Species

The Maracaibo wood turtle is their closest relative. There are 4 species of painted wood turtle and a total of 8 wood turtle species within the Rhinoclemmys genus.

Animal Class

Reptilia

Animal Order

Testudines

Fun Facts

Hide and Seek

You may have a tough time finding the Central American wood turtles in our South American house in Dublin Zoo, as they like to burrow into the soft soil.

Wooden pattern for camouflage

Central American wood turtles are best known for their beautiful colouration. They have been given many common names including ornate wood turtle and painted wood turtle.

Flexible neck

These turtles tuck their head straight back into their shell when they are threatened. To do this, turtles need an incredibly flexible neck, as their backbone is fused to their shell. There is another group of turtles that turn their head to the side instead, with the shell providing cover.

Male or female?

The gender of turtles all over the world is decided before they hatch. If the nest stays below 27°C males will hatch out, while temperatures above 31°C will hatch females. Ideally the nest will stay somewhere between the two to get a good mix of males and females. As climate change results in warmer annual temperatures, females will become more and more abundant in nests. In the future, finding male turtles in the wild could become very difficult.

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Family Life

The breeding season for the Central American wood turtle is usually the summer months, which is June to October in Central America. Males will participate in breeding behaviour and bob their heads to try to attract the attention of the female. Wood turtles can mate on land or in water. The female will build a nest on a sandy bank near a river. Sometimes female turtles will urinate on the sand to prevent their nest from collapsing. Once the eggs have hatched, there is no parental involvement in raising the hatchings.

Baby name

Hatchling

Age at maturity

Maturity in turtles is often a measure of size rather than time. Estimates of when these turtles reach maturity is when they reach a shell length of 12cm.

Gestation period

Eggs are laid after 30-50 days.

Number of young at birth

3-5 eggs are laid at a time.

Weight at birth

Hatchlings can weigh approximately 50 g

Size

The body length of the Central American wood turtle can be 15 – 20 cm and a fully grown adult can weigh between 600 g – 2 kg. Males will have a longer tail and are generally smaller than females.

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Conservation

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated

Current population estimate

Due to the difficult nature of surveying wild populations, the current distribution of the Central American wood turtle is unknown. The wild population of this species has not been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Threats

These turtles are not currently known to be threatened, but other members of their genus have been declared Near Threatened by the IUCN due to a decline in numbers following habitat loss and destruction.

What is Dublin Zoo doing?

Dublin Zoo promotes the conservation education and awareness of this species through our Discovery and Learning department.

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FAQs

  • Can turtles come out of their shell?

    Like many other turtles, the Central American wood turtle’s shell is made of their fused bony ribs and covered in a layer of keratin. Keratin is the same substance that makes up hair, fingernails and horns. Shells are sensitive despite how hard they are.

  • What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?

    Tortoises have a heavier shell that is shaped like a dome, they are adapted for living on the land. Turtle’s shells are flatter and thinner and are adapted for swimming in a variety of water sources like the ocean, ponds and streams.

  • How can you tell if a turtle is male or female?

    The most common way to tell if a turtle is a male or a female is to look at the length of its tail. Females tend to have shorter tails in comparison to males. Males will also have a concave plastron (underside) and females will have a flat plastron (underside).

  • Why do turtles sometimes make hissing sounds?

    This sound is not a vocalisation but a sound that is made when air is expelled from a turtles lungs. This sound is involuntary and is caused by the turtle moving its head back into its shell. It is hypothesised it is a defensive adaptation to predators.

  • How fast can a Central American wood turtle move?

    Upwards of 0.32 kilometres per hour.

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