Cistude

The cistude (of Europe) ( Emys orbicularis still called tortoise of the marshes or tortoise of Brenne ) watery Tortue carnivorous of Europe strongly threatened of disappearance is a .

Description

It has a carapace punt, brown dark noirâtre with stripes and yellow spots, a brown drill plate with a yellowish top. The ventral part of the carapace is formed of two mobile lobes which, while being folded up, protect the head and the members when they are retracted. The skin is constellated with yellow points. The tail is rather long, even for the females.
Les young individuals and the females have the yellow eyes while the males have the red eyes. The males have also a carapace more punt which the females and are generally smaller…
La length goes from 15 to 20 cm.

Habitat

Pond S, Marsh, channels and Lake S of Europe, Asia and Africa of the North-West.

Biology

This small tortoise is primarily diurnal. It is carnivorous and nourishes Amphibien S and from Poisson S. With the Automne, the cistude is withdrawn in the mud and becomes again active only in spring. It can live 120 years.

Subspecies

Defined primarily by their surface of distribution:

Emys orbicularis orbicularis
Emys orbicularis fritzjuergenobsti
Emys orbicularis hellenica
Emys orbicularis luteofusca
Emys orbicularis occidentalis .

13 subspecies are currently recognized.

Protection

Cistude is completely protected in France.

She suffers in France from a competition on her ecological niche due to the Tortue from Florida ( Trachemys scripta elegans ) and from the aggressive Tortue ( Chelydra serpentina ).
L' eradication of these exotic species should be undertaken to succeed in saving the species.

See too

Books

All tortoises of the world of Franck Bonin, Bernard Devaux and Alain Dupre with the delachaux and niestlé editions.
the Salamander n°109: the cistude , re-examined naturalist. Number devoted to the Cistude of Europe, only watery indigenous tortoise of Central Europe, 1995
the Salamander n°139: the invaders , re-examined naturalist. Number devoted to the envahisseuses exotic species like the Tortoise of Florida, 2003

External bonds

Association of Protection and Recovery of Tortoises (PRT) Initiating of project EMYS studied the possibilities of reintroduction of Emys orbicularis orbicularis in Switzerland.
Cistude d' Europe Description, distributions and habitats, manners, protection measures. By the Center of Coordination for Protection of the Amphibians and the Reptiles of Switzerland ( Karch)

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