Last week one of our residents found an unusual reptile on the trails. A turtle, but not a marine one like the species we featured in a previous edition of The Daily, rather a terrestrial turtle that lives in lowlands, mainly in gallery forests close to streams.
The turtle is commonly known as Tortuga de Monte Pintada or Tortuga de Bosque, and its scientific name is Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima.
This species is quite special as it belongs to the Geoemydidae family, a group that usually lives in Asia and Africa. The ancestors of Rhinoclemmys reached the Americas millions of years ago and over time evolved here, becoming the only members of that family found in this part of the world, which makes the presence of this turtle quite unique.
The Tortuga de Monte has a striking shell of about 23 cm or 9 inches. It has red and yellow ocelli on the carapace and head. Some say this pattern may resemble the colors of venomous coral snakes and may help deter predators. These turtles are omnivorous and feed on flowers, grasses, fruit, insects, worms and even fish. They feed and lay their eggs in grassy areas near tree or shrub roots, where they look for humid soil.
It is not surprising that this turtle was in this area, although it does make us wonder how far it has traveled and whether it is wandering alone. Still, crossing paths with this rare visitor reminds us that there is always more wildlife and ecological life unfolding around us than what we might notice at first glance.