The Caspian turtle Mauremys
caspica is a tan to blackish, medium-sized (to 25 cm), semi-aquatic turtle
that occurs in Israel, Saudi Arabia and Iran, northwards into Eastern Europe,
through Turkey & Bulgaria into the former Yugoslavia. It has a low, oval
carapace that is tan to olive or black with yellow to cream-colored patterning
on their shells, legs and head. Some stripes extend anteriorly from the neck
onto the head of which one on each side passes above the eye and onto the snout
where it meets the stripe from the other side. The neck, limbs, and tail are
tan gray to olive or black with yellow, cream, or gray stripes or
reticulations. Females are generally larger than males although have shorter,
thinner tails. There are four sub-species of the Caspian Turtle of which the
one occurring in Saudi Arabia is the Siebenrock's Caspian turtle. Siebenrock's
Caspian turtle M. c. siebenrocki, occurs in Iran and Iraq, with relict
populations in Saudi Arabia and on Bahrain. This light form with contrasting
colors resembles M. c. caspica but has a yellow-to-orange plastron with
a small to medium-sized regularly shaped dark blotch on each scute. The soft
parts are lighter than in M. c. caspica. They can occur in large numbers
in almost any permanent freshwater body within their range where they like to
bask in the sun. Breeding usually takes place in early spring and nesting
occurs in June and July. A typical clutch is four to six, elongated (20-30 x
35–40 mm), brittle-shelled, white eggs. Hatchlings have round carapaces about
33 mm in length, and are brighter colored than the adults. In temporary waters
it is forced to aestivate in the mud in summer. They are carnivorous, feeding
on small invertibrates, aquatic insects, amphibians and carrion.
