The saw-edge turtle is one of the endangered special turtle species. Hainan Province in China has added the saw-edge turtle to the list of wild animals that the province is serious about protecting.
Chinese name: Keeled box turtle
Common name: Octagonal turtle, saw-edge turtle
English name: Keeled box turtle
Latin name Pyxidea mouhotii
Subspecies collapse: Two subspecies collapsed, and the separation was ① formal subspecies ② Ouhotii subspecies. There are only subspecies forms in our country.
Geographical distribution: Domestic distribution in Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and Yunnan. Scattered overseas are Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and India (Assam).
Customs: Live in mountainous areas, forests, shrubs and streams, and rarely participate in deep water sports. The food habit is animal, especially live food, such as locusts, mealworms, earthworms, etc. It likes warmth and is afraid of cold. It will hibernate when the ambient temperature is 19℃ and eat normally when the temperature is 25℃.
Morphological characteristics: The adult carapace is 14-18cm long, 9-12cm wide, and 5-7cm thick. The head is medium-sized, the back is grey-brown, with scattered worm-like markings. There are long and narrow black-edged stripes from behind the eyes to the forehead, the upper beak is hooked, and the eyes are large. The carapace is brownish-yellow, relatively raised, with three ridges on it. The front edge is toothless and the rear edge has eight teeth. The plastron is yellow with irregular large black spots on the edges. In adults, ligaments develop between the dorsal and ventral carapace and between the thoracic and ventral shields. Only the front half of the plastron can move and close tightly to the dorsal carapace. There are no axillary or crotch shields. The tail is short, the hands and feet have imbricate scales, and the toes are semi-webbed.
Identification of males and females: The male has a longer tail and a strong tail base. The anal opening is farther from the rear edge of the plastron and the center of the plastron is slightly concave; the female is larger, has a shorter tail and the anal opening is further from the plastron. The posterior edge is close, and the center of the plastron is flat.
Capturing conditions: The Serrata serrata is a semi-aquatic turtle that lives on land. When raising, it can be kept in wooden boxes, pools and glass vessels. In the container, lay some moist sand, plant some weeds, and shake some gravel. If there is water, the height of the water level cannot exceed half of the height of the turtle's carapace.
Nests and other places, therefore, for newly purchased turtles, first check and eliminate parasites to prevent infection. The Serrata serrata is one of the more aggressive turtles. It likes to eat live small insects. When raised artificially, it can be fed earthworms, mealworms, and fruit and vegetable food to supplement various vitamins and stabilize the nutrition in the body. In spring and autumn, the feeding amount can be reduced accordingly, 3 times a week. For weak turtles, an appropriate amount of multivitamins should be mixed into the bait, and their health should be checked regularly. When the temperature in summer is higher than 32°C, the turtle will enter "estivation". At this time, it should avoid direct sunlight and adopt corresponding cooling measures. When the temperature drops, it should be lowered gradually. At this time, the turtle has no food, so there is no need to force feed it. Wait until the temperature cools down before feeding. Before winter comes, the turtle should be inspected all over. If the turtle is not healthy, it can be heated and raised to improve its physical fitness. Healthy turtles should stop feeding after entering hibernation to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort caused by temperature changes after eating.
Endangerment and maintenance: Because humans like to eat turtles and turtles, indiscriminate capture and killing are important factors that cause the species to become endangered.
Existing protection measures: Hainan Province has added the saw-edge turtle to the provincial list of wild animals that are seriously protected.
Protection measures that should be further adopted:
1. It is recommended that provinces and autonomous areas where saw-edge turtles are scattered should be added to the list of the province's serious protection of wild animals.
2. Capture and betrayal are strictly prohibited.
3. Create conditions, launch artificial breeding, and carry out ex-situ maintenance.
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