NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Caspian Turtle
Mauremys caspica (Gmelin, 1774)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Caspian turtle (Mauremys caspica), also known as the striped-neck terrapin, is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae (=Bataguridae). It is found in west Asia, in Iran and central Turkey, northward to the Republic of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Russia (Dagestan), eastward to southwestern Turkmenistan, and in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
Wikipedia contributors, Caspian turtle; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:08:42.133275+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Mauremys caspica (Gmelin, 1774)
- Name authority
- (Gmelin, 1774)
- Common name
- Caspian Turtle
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Testudines
- Family
- Geoemydidae
- Genus
- Mauremys
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderTestudines Batsch, 1788
- suborderCryptodira
- superfamilyTestudinoidea
- familyGeoemydidae
- genusMauremys
- speciesMauremys caspica (Gmelin, 1774)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Mauremys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Annam Leaf TurtleMauremys annamensis (Siebenrock, 1903) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Japanese Pond TurtleMauremys japonica (Temminck & Schlegel, 1835) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Yellowpond TurtleMauremys mutica (Cantor, 1842) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Big-headed Reeves’ turtle [megalocephala]Mauremys reevesii (Gray, 1831) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Black-Necked Pond TurtleMauremys nigricans (Gray, 1834) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Western Caspian TurtleMauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Chinese Striped-necked TurtleMauremys sinensis (Gray, 1834) | GeoemydidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Testudo caspica Gmelin, 1774 Gmelin, 1774 | synonym |
| Clemmys caspica caspica Mertens et al., 1934 Mertens et al., 1934 | synonym |
| Mauremys caspica caspica Pritchard, 1966 Pritchard, 1966 | synonym |
| Clemmys caspica Wagler, 1830 Wagler, 1830 | synonym |
| Emys grayi Günther, 1869 Günther, 1869 | ambiguous synonym |
| Clemmys caspica caspica Mertens & Wermuth, 1961 Mertens & Wermuth, 1961 | synonym |
| Mauremys caspica siebenrocki Wischuf & Fritz, 1997 Wischuf & Fritz, 1997 | synonym |
| Mauremys caspica ventrimaculata Wischuf & Fritz, 1996 Wischuf & Fritz, 1996 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Mauremys&species=caspica Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3YFW8. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.