Geoemydidae, Theobald, 1868

Aloufi, Abdulhadi, Zayer, Mohammed Al & Amr, Zuhair S., 2023, Reptiles and Amphibians along the Coastal Area of the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Ecologica Montenegrina 68, pp. 66-87 : 70

Family Geoemydidae

Mauremys caspica (Gmelin, 1774) Fig. 3C

Observed: Al Asfar Lake, 27.5.2023. Al Suhaemeah farms, 5.9.2023. D1Agricultar Canal, 5.9.2023.

Remarks: Females of the Caspian turtle were seen while basking on stones in canals and in Al Asfar Lake. It is very common along irrigation canals and all forms of permanent water. Previous records include specimens from Dharan ( Haas, 1957), Hufof, Al Qatif and Al Uqayr, ( Gasperetti et al., 1993). Vamberger et al. (2013) recognized two eastern clusters of M. caspica based on molecular analysis; one is distributed in the Caucasus region and Iran, and a second in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Aloufi (2009) studied the distribution of the Caspian turtle in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. He reported that it was very common and widespread in Al Hassa region and extends from the northern to the southern and eastern villages. It was found to inhabit running water, drainage canals, stagnant water, lakes (Al-Asfar and Al-Ayoun), and swamps. Aloufi (2009) reported that the number of breeding sites of M. caspica was reduced from 159 sites in the early 1970s to about 19 in 2009, due to changes in irrigation schemes in Al Hassa region.

Figures

Figure 3. A & B. Pelophylax ridibundus from Al Qudaih Farm. C. Mauremys caspica from Al Asfar Lake. D. Eretmochelys imbricata near Al Jurayd Island (Photo by M. Alwani).