Species Fact Profile: Four-Eyed Turtle (Sacalia quadriocellata)

                                                                     Four-Eyed Turtle

                                                       Sacalia quadriocellata (Siebenrock, 1903)

Range: Southern and Central China, northern Vietnam, northwestern Laos

Habitat:  Forested mountain streams, up to 700 meters elevation

Diet: Earthworms, mollusks, crustaceans, insects, small fish, aquatic plants

Social Grouping: Solitary

Reproduction: Females lay 1-4 (some sources say 2-6) white, elongated eggs per clutch.  Turtles in more southern parts of range have been observed laying multiple clutches

Lifespan: 40 Years

      Conservation Status: IUCN Critically Endangered, CITES Appendix II

• Carapace 15 centimeters long, broad, oval, and slightly roofed with a developed central keel.  The toes are fully-webbed
• Carapace is brown, black, or dark green.  Head is beige or brown, sometimes almost black or blue.  Common name refers to the two to four large, bright colored spots – usually yellow with a central black spot, sometimes light blue bordered with white – on the back of the head, behind the eyes.  Spots tend to be brighter in males than females.  Yellow and orange lines on the neck
• Has been reported to hybridize with Chinese three-striped box turtle, or golden coin turtle (Cuora trifasciata).  The resultant offspring are believed to be the origin of the so-called Chinese false-eyed turtle, Sacalia pseudocellata, which some authorities consider a valid species
• Species was once locally common, now declining, up to 90%decline over past two generations. Primary threat is collection, both for the pet trade (very desirable due to their striking markings) and for their shells, which are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Additional cause of decline is loss of habitat due to damming and hydropower development.  Range is fragmented and disjunct

Zookeeper's Journal: Freshwater turtles, as a group, are some of the most endangered of all vertebrates.  They are highly in demand not only for the cookpot, but increasingly for the pet trade.  As far as I can tell, the lovely four-eyed turtle of Southeast Asia has three major strikes against it in being highly trafficked.  First, it's beautiful, easily one of the most visually-striking of turtles (which, to a non-connoisseur, can all start to look the same after a while).  Second, it's small, which makes it possible for private owners without much space to keep it; no need for a giant tank or an expensive outdoor pond or greenhouse.  And third, unfortunately, rarity tends to encourage desirability, which leads to more rarity.  The rarer this species becomes, the more prestige is associated with owning it, and so the more highly sought after it becomes among turtle collectors.