Indian black turtle

Melanochelys trijuga
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)^[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Geoemydidae
Genus:	Melanochelys
Species:	M. trijuga
Binomial name
*Melanochelys trijuga* (Schweigger, 1812)
Synonyms^[3]
click to expand Emys trijuga Schweigger, 1812 Emys belangeri Lesson, 1834 Clemmys (Clemmys) trijuga Fitzinger, 1835 Melanochelys trijuga Gray, 1869 Emys trijuga var. madraspatana Anderson, 1879 Clemmys theobaldi Lydekker, 1885 Bellia theobaldi Lydekker, 1889 Nicoria trijuga Boulenger, 1889 Geoemyda [trijuga] trijuga Siebenrock, 1909 Geoemyda trijuga plumbea Annandale, 1915 Melanochelys trijuga Deraniyagala, 1939 Melanochelys trijuga trijuga Pritchard, 1979 Melanochelys triguja Highfield, 1996 (ex errore) Emys trijuga var. coronata Anderson, 1879 Nicoria trijuga var. coronata Bruner, 1908 Geoemyda trijuga coronata Siebenrock, 1909 Melanochelys trijuga coronata Pritchard, 1979 Melanochelys edeniana Theobald, 1876 Emys trijuga var. burmana Anderson, 1879 Nicoria trijuga var. edeniana Boulenger, 1889 Geoemyda trijuga edeniana Siebenrock, 1909 Melanochelys trijuga edeniana Deraniyagala, 1939 Emys trijuga edeniana Bourret, 1941 Geoemyda trijuga wiroti Reimann, 1979 Melanochelys trijuga wiroti Stubbs, 1989 Melanochelys edeniana edeniana Bour, 2002 Melanochelys edeniana wiroti Bour, 2002 Geoemyda indopeninsularis Annandale, 1913 Geoemyda trijuga indopeninsularis Smith, 1931 Melanochelys trijuga indopeninsularis Deraniyagala, 1939 Melanochelys edeniana indopeninsularis Bour, 2002 Melanochelys trijuga parkeri Deraniyagala, 1939 Geoemyda trijuga parkeri Mertens & Wermuth, 1955 Emys thermalis Lesson, 1830 Emys sebae Gray, 1831 Emys seba Gray, 1844 (ex errore) Geoclemys seba Gray, 1856 Clemmys thermalis Strauch, 1862 Melanochelys sebae Gray, 1870 Emys trijuga var. sebae Anderson, 1879 Nicoria trijuga var. thermalis Boulenger, 1889 Geoemyda trijuga thermalis Siebenrock, 1909 Melanochelys trijuga thermalis Deraniyagala, 1939

The Indian black turtle (Melanochelys trijuga) or Indian pond terrapin is a species of medium-sized freshwater turtle found in South Asia.

Description

Despite its name, the color of its upper shell or carapace can vary from reddish to dark brown and black with yellow streaks running along its length. The underside or plastron is uniformly brown in color. The face of this turtle may have yellow or orange marks and spots, with color varying between subspecies. The size of the species may vary from 38 to 45 cm.^[4]

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, and the Chagos Archipelago, where it may have been introduced. There are five recognized subspecies with overlapping distributions:

M. t. trijuga: peninsula black turtle, India
M. t. coronata: Cochin black turtle, India
M. t. indopeninsularis: Bangladesh black turtle, India, Nepal
M. t. parkeri: Sri Lanka
M. t. thermalis: Sri Lanka black turtle, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka

The Indian black turtle inhabits a variety of water bodies including ponds, marshes streams, rivers and artificial water bodies like rice-paddies, watering holes etc.^[4]

M. t. coronata
Chambal River, Uttar Pradesh, India
M. t. thermalis
Kandy, Sri Lanka

Ecology

The species is most active during early morning and evening, spending most of the day basking in the sun. The Sri Lankan subspecies, which has a flatter carapace, tends to spend the day in burrows. The species typically forages on aquatic vegetation along the edge of the water. It is omnivorous, with a diet ranging from aquatic plants to aquatic insects and carrion. Indian black turtles may sometimes be seen to aggregate alongside the carcass of a large dead animal.^[4]

Breeding

The Indian black turtle breeds during the wet season, between August and October. During this time the male becomes particularly aggressive and starts chasing the female, biting her on the neck. The male attaches itself to the top of the female during mating. Once mating is completed, the female digs a nest in the ground or occasionally in a pile of rhinoceros or elephant dung, using the left hind leg to excavate the nest and right hind leg to clear the excess material. Two to six individual clutches of eggs are laid in burrows per year. Eggs have an incubation period of 60–65 days, hatching during summer.^[4]

Conservation

The species is classified as least concern by the IUCN. M. t. indopeninsularis is considered threatened in Bangladesh, while the population in Myanmar (M. t. edeniana) is thought to be vulnerable or endangered. The species appears still to be common in India and Nepal, and is thus overall considered reasonably secure.^[5] Where it is under pressure, this is mostly due to hunting for consumption and the pet trade.

References

Mitchell, Joseph C.; Rhodin, Anders G. J. (1996). "Observations on the natural history and exploitation of the turtles of Nepal, with life history notes on Melanochelys trijuga". Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 2 (1): 66–72.
Schweigger, A.F. (1812). "Prodromus Monographia Cheloniorum auctore Schweigger". Arch. Naturwiss. Mathem. 1: 271–368, 406–458.
Mukherjee, D.; Nixon, A.M.A.; Bhupathy, S. (2006). "Observations on the Morphometry of two subspecies of Melanochelys trijuga from the Western Ghats, India". Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter. 9: 7–9.

Family Geoemydidae

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Geoemydidae

Genera

Species of the family Geoemydidae

†Banhxeochelys

†Banhxeochelys trani

Batagur

Cuora

Cyclemys

†Echmatemys

†Echmatemys septaria
†Echmatemys stevensoniana
†Echmatemys wyomingensis

Geoclemys

Black pond turtle

Geoemyda

Hardella

Brahminy river turtle

Heosemys

Leucocephalon

Sulawesi forest turtle

Malayemys

Mauremys

Melanochelys

Morenia

Notochelys

Malayan flat-shelled turtle

Orlitia

Malaysian giant turtle

Pangshura

Rhinoclemmys

Sacalia

Siebenrockiella

Vijayachelys

Cane turtle

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=Extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Genus

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers
Melanochelys trijuga	Wikidata: Q2704304 Wikispecies: Melanochelys trijuga ADW: Melanochelys_trijuga ARKive: melanochelys-trijuga BOLD: 191032 CoL: 72XFP EoL: 1056095 GBIF: 2443552 iNaturalist: 39959 IRMNG: 11172748 ITIS: 551934 IUCN: 13039 NCBI: 74938 Observation.org: 101356 Open Tree of Life: 105484 Paleobiology Database: 373915 RD: trijuga Species+: 10982