NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Western Caspian Turtle
Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833)
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 Balkan terrapin or western Caspian terrapin (Mauremys rivulata) is a species of terrapin in the family Geoemydidae. It is found in the eastern Mediterranean region. While technically omnivorous, the terrapins are known to prefer meat. They can grow to 25 cm (10 in) in carapace length, although hatchlings are usually only 3 to 4 cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) in length.
Wikipedia contributors, Balkan terrapin; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:10:12.532056+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833)
- Name authority
- (Valenciennes, 1833)
- Common name
- Western 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 rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833)
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 |
| Caspian TurtleMauremys caspica (Gmelin, 1774) | 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 |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| Emys rivulata Valenciennes ex Bory, 1833 Valenciennes ex Bory, 1833 | synonym |
| Emys tristrami Gray, 1869 Gray, 1869 | synonym |
| Emys caspica var. arabica Gray, 1870 Gray, 1870 | synonym |
| Clemmys caspica cretica Mertens, 1946 Mertens, 1946 | synonym |
| Emys pannonica Gray, 1870 Gray, 1870 | synonym |
| Clemmys caspica var. obsoleta Schreiber, 1912 Schreiber, 1912 | synonym |
| Clemmys caspica orientalis Bedriaga, 1881 Bedriaga, 1881 | 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=rivulata 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:3YFWM. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.