Pelomedusa s. subrufa

African Helmeted Turtle

Distribution: Most of Africa South of a line running from Senegal to Ethiopia, Madagascar, and the southern portion of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Empire Stock: WC exported from Ghana.

Size: Up to 22 cm.

Habitat: Inhabitants of temporary ponds and creeks and known to aestivate in the mud when water habitat dries up.

Diet: I feed Mazuri Freshwater Turtle pellets, fish, and snails.

Sexing: Males have longer thicker tails and concave plastrons.

Breeding: Clutch sizes so far have ranged from 5-9 eggs.

Temperature-dependent Sex Determination.

Notes: Anecdotal stories exist of them working in uncoordinated packs to bring down wading birds.

A paper by Rochat mentions that they are known to remove ectoparasites from Rhinos that enter the water.

I often find adult individuals dug into the land section under plant cover.

These turtles are not often kept by breeders because they aren't colorful and hatchlings don't fetch much, due to cheap imports  that are available in large numbers. 

Care Sheets: Pelomedusa.com

A happy couple.

Sexing is easy. The male's tail is longer with the vent farther away from the body than the female's. Male on the left and female on the right.

One of one. The nests of these have been hard to locate. This little guy, my first hatchling Pelomedusa,  turned up in the pond alongside the adults. Siblings continued to turn up for a week. Amazing considering the appetite of adult Pelomedusa.

Unlike imports which often bear the marks of "life in the wild" and "poor dealer care", these little ones will grow to be perfect specimens if properly cared for.

Five easy pieces. These were found as they exited their nest through a swarm of fire ants. Two others didn't make it. Luckily, I was at the right place at the right time, or all would have likely perished. Fire ants are one reason I prefer to find all nests and remove them to the incubator. This has been a challenge with the Pelomedusa as they are very good at hiding their nests.

Suggested Reading