Discovery of Freshwater Turtles in Bimini, Bahamas

Brian K. Mealey¹, Greta M. Parks¹, Jennifer Schooley¹, John Rothchild²,
Lou Roth², Derke Snodgrass³, and John D. Baldwin⁴

¹Falcon Batchelor Bird of Prey Center, Miami Museum of Science, 3280 South Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33129, bmealey@miamisci.org

²John G. Shedd Aquarium, 1200 South Lake Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605

³Florida Marine Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2796 Overseas Highway, Suite 119, Marathon, FL 33050 Derke.Snodgrass@fwc.state.fl.us

⁴Department of Biology, Florida Atlantic University, 2912 College Avenue,
Davie, Florida, 33314 jbaldwin@fau.edu

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Abstract:

In November 2000, biologists visiting the islands of Bimini, Bahamas spotted several small turtles in a freshwater pond in South Bimini. However, it was not possible to positively identify the species of turtle due to the distance and murkiness of the pond at that time. The importance of this sighting is that there are no known turtles, except for sea turtles, identified in the literature for Bimini. A collaborative expedition was conducted in November 2001, to identity these turtles. Six turtles were captured in two days of trapping. Meristic measurements were taken and each turtle identified with an AVID pit tag. The turtles were difficult to identify due to the lack of any distinct patterns. These turtles appear to be a melanistic Trachemys species, possibly T.scripta elegans, the North American red-eared slider or a hybrid between multiple Caribbean subspecies of Trachemys. Further genetic testing is being conducted to positively identify the Bimini freshwater turtle.

Bahamas Journal of Science