Herptiles

Heosemys spinosa

Spiny Terrapin

Heosemys spinosa (Gray, 1831)
Endangered (IUCN)

Basic info

Common names
  • Spiny Turtle
  • Spiny Terrapin
Species nameHeosemys spinosa
Scientific nameHeosemys spinosa (Gray, 1831)
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Testudines
Geoemydidae
Heosemys spinosa

Further Reading

Temperatures & Season

Day time temperatures

Background summer25 - 30 °F
Background winter24 - 26 °F
Basking spot35 °F

Night time temperatures

Background24 - 26 °F

Season

Photoperiod12 hours

Microhabitats

Microhabitats are specific small habitats that an organism inhabits within its broader environment. These can vary greatly depending on the species and can give us insights into the preferred living conditions of each reptile. Understanding these microhabitats can be key to providing the correct care for these animals in captivity.

  • Riparian or wetlands
    Riparian or wetlands

Ferguson Zones

Ferguson Zones are a way to classify the amount of UV light that reptiles are exposed to in their natural habitats. These zones help us understand and replicate their natural light conditions in captivity, promoting the health and wellbeing of the reptiles. Below, we detail the specific Ferguson Zones of the Chinese Water Dragon, along with recommendations for replicating these conditions

The Ferguson Zone in which the Spiny Terrapin has been placed has been chosen based upon an assessment of its typical basking behaviour and likely microhabitat in the wild.

1
Crepuscular or share dweller
UVI range avarage: 0-0.7, UVI max recorded: 0.6-1.4

Recommended lighting methods in captivity

Shade method

This method provides low-level 'background' UV at levels matching the Ferguson Zone Range, over a large portion of the enclosure. The highlighted area in the table below represents this range for the Spiny Terrapin.

1
2
3
4
1
2
3

More in-depth information about Ferguson zones can be found here: https://jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150

Community collected distribution (379 occurrences)

Biomes

These are the biomes the Spiny Terrapin was found in. Click here to learn more about terrestrial ecoregions and biomes.

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References

  1. Baines, F.M., Chattell, J., Dale, J., Garrick, D., Gill, I., Goetz, M., Skelton, T. and Swatman, M. 2016. How much UVB does my reptile need? The UV-Tool, a guide to the selection of UV lighting for reptiles and amphibians in captivity. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research. 4, 1 (Jan. 2016), 42–63. DOI:https://doi.org/10.19227/jzar.v4i1.150.
  2. Heosemys spinosa (Gray, 1831) in GBIF Secretariat (2021). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org
  3. Gray, J. E. A synopsis of the species of Class Reptilia. In: Griffith, E & E. Pidgeon: The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organisation by the Baron Cuvier with additional descriptions of all the species hither named, and of many before noticed [Vol. 9].
  4. iNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org
This website is created by Jefrim Keijzer | All species