Yellowbelly mud turtle  (Pelusios castanoides)

Biology

The yellowbelly mud turtle feeds mainly on large pulmonate snails and floating water lettuce. The Seychelles chestnut-bellied mud turtle is reportedly nocturnal, and has been recorded eating invertebrates, fish, amphibians, fruit and other plant material (1) (2).

In the Seychelles, there is often fierce competition between males for access to females, with only the stronger individuals successfully managing to breed (1). Here, eggs are laid from December to January (1), while two captives from Malawi each laid 25 eggs at the end of September (2). During the dry season, this species aestivates in the mud (2).

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