Food habits of the Caspian terrapin ( Mauremys caspica rivulata) in unpolluted and polluted habitats in Israel.

In Israel M. caspica feeds throughout the year except when the water temperature is <13oC. Feeding activity is more intense in summer than in winter. Turtles >yr old are opportunistic omnivores, feeding on the wide range of animal, plant and detrital matter readily available in their habitat. Younger turtles tend to be more carnivorous. In both unpolluted and polluted habitats aquatic insects constitute the major source of animal food. In sewage-contaminated habitats saprobiontic material replaces vascular aquatic plants and filamentous algae eaten in unpolluted habitats. The importance of detritus in the turtle's diet increases with an increase in organic pollution. Under conditions of diverse food resources M. caspica may exhibit some degree of food selection.-Authors