26/04/2025
𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗥𝗔 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆
𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 (𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀: 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗲)
The Vallarta Mud Turtle, 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘰𝘨𝘵𝘪, was described based on morphological characteristics. This species differs from its congeners in the proportions of its plastron and carapace scutes, body size, and the noticeable presence of a large yellow rostral shield in males. These morphological traits clearly differentiate 𝘒. 𝘷𝘰𝘨𝘵𝘪 from all other species of the genus 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘯. At present it is considered the smallest turtle in the world based on a maximum reported straight carapace length (SCL) of 10.2 cm only.
Based on Rᴇɴsᴄʜ’s rule, we initially hypothesized that 𝘒. 𝘷𝘰𝘨𝘵𝘪 would not exhibit significant sexual dimorphism in body size (SCL: maximum carapace length). Cᴇʙᴀʟʟᴏs & Iᴠᴇʀsᴏɴ (2014), however, observed that for small kinosternid turtles (SCL ~110 mm) females exhibited larger body sizes than males, whereas Rᴇɢɪs & Mᴇɪᴋ (2017) suggested a female bias in body mass. To settle this controversy, we compared nine morphological traits between the sexes of 𝘒. 𝘷𝘰𝘨𝘵𝘪, expecting that females would present larger features than males.
Lᴏ́ᴘᴇᴢ-Gᴏɴᴢᴀ́ʟᴇᴢ, N. E., M. A. Lᴏ́ᴘᴇᴢ-Lᴜɴᴀ & A. H. Esᴄᴏʙᴇᴅᴏ-Gᴀʟᴠᴀ́ɴ (2025): Sexual size dimorphism and allometric growth of the smallest turtle in the world (Testudines: Kinosternidae). – Salamandra 61(1): 95–100.
Lesen Sie den vollständigen Artikel (in Englisch) unter:
The paper (in English) is available at:
www.salamandra-journal.com
Jetzt Mitglied werden:
Become a member now:
www.dght.de/startseite/mitglied-werden
The Vallarta Mud Turtle has a distinctive yellow spot on the nose.
Photo: Agencia Informativa Conacyt / UdeG (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kinosternon_vogti.jpg), „Kinosternon vogti“, Bildausschnitt, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.