The African Sideneck Turtle is a species of turtle that is native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa where they can be found in the Western parts of the country.
This species of turtle is often referred to as the West African Mud Turtle and they are sometimes even called the swamp terrapin.
They are a dark-colored turtle that typically grows to just under a foot in length with females typically being larger than males.
African Sideneck Turtle Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The family that the African Sideneck Turtle belongs to is called Pelomedusidae. This is a family of fresh-water turtles that are native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Some of the turtles in this family can be found on African Islands such as Madagascar and Seychelles.
The species in this family are unable to fully withdraw their heads into their shells. Instead, they fold them sideways into their shell.
Technically, all of the species in this family are African Sideneck Turtles and many of the species also go by this common name which can often cause confusion.
There are two genera in this family, Pelomedusa and Pelusios. Between these two genera there are 18 different species in the family.
Genus
The genus that the African Sideneck Turtle belongs to is called Pelusios. This genus contains 17 of the 18 species in the Pelomedusidae family.
The only species in the other genus, Pelomedusa, is called the African Helmeted Turtle.
Some of the other species in the Pelusios genus include the Yellow-bellied Mud Turtle and the African Forest Turtle.
Species
The scientific name for the African Sideneck Turtle is Pelusios castaneus and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
The species was first described in 1812 by a German naturalist named August Friedrich Schweigger.
African Sideneck Turtle Description
The African Sideneck Turtle can grow to between 8-12 inches in length with females typically being larger than males.
They are dark in color and even have a dark-colored belly which is usually grey or black in color. There is often a yellow patch on the belly also.
Their feet are lightly webbed with sharp claws while their head is brown to olive green in color with black patterning.
While there is no recognised sub-species of African Sideneck Turtle at the time of writing, there are three distinct ‘variations’ or ‘locales’.
These are the ‘normal phase’, the ‘rainforest phase’ which is darker in color and the ‘savannah phase’ which is lighter on color with a completely yellow shell.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The African Sideneck Turtle is native to sub-Saharan Africa where it can be found along the West Coast extending inland towards Central Africa.
In the North-West of their range, they can be found in countries such as Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Their range continues to extend through countries such as the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin.
They can be found as far South as Angola and as far inland as the Democratic Republic of Congo.
They share some of their range with species such as the Senegal Chameleon, the Rainbow Lizard, the West African Bush Viper, the African Fire Skink and the Savannah Monitor.
African Sideneck Turtle Behaviour
The African Sideneck Turtle is built for life in the water. When in water these turtles are quick and agile and can swim at up to 20km/hr.
They often leave the water during the rainy season in search of other water sources. During this time, they can travel large distances across land.
They are nowhere near as quick on land an as a result are much more prone to predator attacks.
The African Sideneck Turtle is omnivorous meaning that it will eat a variety of different plant and animal-based foods.
They are opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything it can find including fish, amphibians, insects, fruit and aquatic vegetation.
These turtles are very aggressive feeders and when there are high populations of these turtles in one area, they are known to hunt in groups.
These groups are capable of taking down and eating birds and fish. They are even known to attack other species of turtles.