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The taxonomy and ecology of Mauremys caspica rivulata Valenciennes, 1833 (Testudinata: Bataguridae) and Testudo graeca ibera Pallas, 1811 (Testudinata: Testudinidae) on reşadiye (Datça) Peninsula
Abstract
In this survey, the tortoise and turtle fauna of Reşadiye (Datça) Peninsula, which has not previously been studied in detail, is given. Mauremys caspica rivulata and Testudo graeca ibera specimens were collected as museum material or released after their measurements were taken, from four and nine localities respectively, establishing the status of the peninsula's testudine fauna. A total of 30 adult and eight juvenile specimens were studied morphologically. Observations on the ecological and biological characteristics of the testudines are also given.
... The Spur-thighed Tortoise has been the subject of different studies focusing on demography (Díaz-Paniagua et al., 2001;Rouag et al., 2007), ecology Díaz-Paniagua et al., 1995;Rouag et al., 2008) and conservation initiatives (Buică et al., 2013;Pérez et al., 2004) throughout its distribution range. There have been few studies on the ecology of Anatolian populations (Bayrakcı et al., 2014;Lambert, 1982;Tok, 1999;Türkozan et al., 2005) and these studies have been mainly focused on morphology and demography (Bayrakcı et al., 2014;Lambert, 1982;Tok, 1999;Türkozan et al., 2005). ...
... The Spur-thighed Tortoise has been the subject of different studies focusing on demography (Díaz-Paniagua et al., 2001;Rouag et al., 2007), ecology Díaz-Paniagua et al., 1995;Rouag et al., 2008) and conservation initiatives (Buică et al., 2013;Pérez et al., 2004) throughout its distribution range. There have been few studies on the ecology of Anatolian populations (Bayrakcı et al., 2014;Lambert, 1982;Tok, 1999;Türkozan et al., 2005) and these studies have been mainly focused on morphology and demography (Bayrakcı et al., 2014;Lambert, 1982;Tok, 1999;Türkozan et al., 2005). ...
... Saline environments (salt marshes, Salicornia marshes) and crop fields are not used by the species, which leads to a fragmentation of the population nuclei within the delta (Arslan et al. 2018). The biometry of the Gediz Delta population of Spur-thighed Tortoise was generally consistent with previous studies in Turkey (Tok, 1999;Türkozan et al., 2004Türkozan et al., , 2005Türkozan et al., , 2006 and no significant differences were observed with the literature. We found average straight carapace length (SCL) was 190.9 mm in males, and 205.2 mm in females, similar to SCL variations between 126 and 234 mm in males and 111 and 264 mm in females by Türkozan et al. (2006). ...
The Spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with small and fragmented populations located around the Mediterranean basin. In Turkey, this species has remained poorly studied which hampers solid assessment of threats and conservation measures. We studied the spatial distribution, habitat use, and demography of the species in the Gediz Delta (Aegean coast of Turkey) between 2015 and 2017 with a specific capture-mark-recapture survey made in the Sazlıgöl marshes. A total of 114 individuals (20 juveniles, 62 males and 32 females) were captured and released in that period. Carapace length of adult females was on average higher (205.2±3.2 mm) than in adult males (190.9±2.3 mm). Sex ratio was biased with 1.94 males per female. Based on the capture-recapture histories of 65 individuals (3 juveniles, 37 males and 25 females) marked in 2015, we estimated the population size of the Sazlıgöl marsh population to be 137±23 individuals, which corresponds to a density of 5.7 individuals per ha. The main threats detected were agricultural activities, urbanisation and captures for the pet trade.
... Limited and scattered information on various aspects of the biology, including diet of the Stripe-necked Terrapin has been published (Gasith and Sidis, 1983;Gasith and Sidis, 1985;Sidis and Gasith, 1985;Tok, 1999). Mauremys rivulata has been reported to be mainly omnivorous Disi, 1998;Disi et al., 2001), like its close relative, M. caspica. ...
... Disi (1998), based on observations and former records, reported that M. rivulata feeds on algae, detritus, fish, tadpoles, aquatic insects, and frogs. Tok (1999) stated that M. rivulata is carnivorous but that juvenile animals were observed to feed on bread offered to them by people. ...
... The diet of the Striped-necked Terrapin based on faecal analysis, dissection and observations was discussed by several authors Disi, 1998;Tok, 1999;Wischuf and Busack, 2001). Food items reported for Mauremys rivulata included vegetable material, like vascular aquatic plants, algae, saprobiontic material, terrestrial plants and seeds . ...
... Information on the morphology and distribution of M. rivulata in Turkey varies considerably. Studies of Turkish Thracian turtles by Çevik (1982), and the turtles of Refladiye Peninsula by Tok (1999) provided only a rough idea of these regions. Taflkavak et al. (1997) revealed statistically significant morphological differences between the 2 populations of M. rivulata in Anatolia. ...
... Our findings with respect to maximum SCL contradict Siebenrock's (1913) data. This is in line with observations of SCL for Mauremys rivulata from Thrace (196.5 mm) reported by Çevik (1982) and from Datça (172 mm) by Tok (1999). Taflkavak et al. (1997) compared M. rivulata populations in Nurda¤ı (Gaziantep) and ‹zmir, and in contrast to Siebenrock's (1913) data, Nurda¤ı (Gaziantep) specimens were smaller that western specimens. ...
... The Mediterranean population, however, demonstrated values closer to the Nurda¤ı, Gaziantep population (Taflkavak et al., 1997). As reported in a number of other studies (Çevik, 1982;Tok, 1999;Taflkavak et al., 1997) Aegean and Mediterranean populations exhibited similar SCL:CH ratios, and population CD values were not different. ...
Morphometric measurements and color-pattern features of 62 samples of Mauremys rivulata from the Lake District (Göller Bölgesi) and the Mediterranean Region of Turkey were compared. Between populations, males apparently differed in 10 characters and females in 12 characters (independent t-test), but coefficient of difference (CD) values for these characters were not significant, and sexes were combined into a single group and compared with Aegean M. rivulata with respect to morphometric features. The greatest straight carapace length (SCL) observed in a male and female Aegean specimen was 215.0 mm and 214.0 mm, respectively. This paper also provides the first record of M. rivulata in Lake Eǧirdir of the Lake District. Mauremys rivulata specimens were captured in Sakçagözü-Kömürler (Gaziantep) on the easternmost border of the study site, whereas no M. capica specimens were encountered in the area.
... Kargı Cove is located in the Datça district (Reşadiye) Peninsula of Muğla province, 3 km away from the town center. Kargı Stream is one of the most important creeks divided into many small branches beside the small ponds in the region flowing into the sea in the north-south direction (Tok, 1993(Tok, , 1999Taşlıgil, 2008). ...
Trachemys scripta is included among the 100 most invasive species worldwide. Since the first report on the presence of pond slider turtles from natural habitats in Türkiye, the distribution of this invasive species comprises almost thirty provinces. However, it spread to much wider sites than the regions determined until today. Besides, there is a lack of knowledge on which subspecies exist in the invaded habitats. Within this study, we presented the presence of two subspecies of the invasive alien slider turtle for the first time from the Reşadiye, Datça, Muğla, Türkiye. We also suggest certain precautions should be taken against slider turtles to contribute to preventing their invasion of our biodiversity.
... In Turkey, it lives in western and southern Anatolia as well as in Thrace (Figure 1). Several authors documented the presence of M. rivulata in Turkey (Başoğlu & Baran, 1977;Taşkavak et al., 1997;Baran & Atatür, 1998;Taşkavak et al., 1998;Tok, 1999;Ayaz & Budak, 2008;Güçlü & Türkozan, 2010;Yılmaz & Tosunoğlu, 2010;Çiçek & Ayaz, 2011;Tosunoglu et al., 2011;Baran et al., 2012;Ege et al., 2015;Sarıkaya, 2015;Tosunoğlu et al., 2017). (Anonymous, 2021) Scarce studies noted the presence of the turtle in Çanakkale (Hür et al., 2008;Hacioglu et al., 2012;Gül et al., 2014;Hacioglu & Tosunoglu, 2014;Hacioglu et al., 2015;Bayrakcı et al., 2016;Bilgin, 2018;Tok et al., 2018;Uysal et al., 2018;Çördük et al., 2019;Özmen, 2020). ...
This study firstly reported the presence of Mauremys rivulata in the Atikhisar Reservoir in Çanakkale, Turkey. M. rivulata was observed during the sampling of freshwater crayfish in the reservoir between 4-5 m water depth on September 27, 2021. A single individual was caught with a fyke-net having 17 mm mesh size. The straight carapace length and straight carapace width of the individual were measured to be 20.52 and 12.95 cm, respectively. Knowing the distribution of a species enables researchers to better understand the ecological biology and is of great importance for researchers to study certain aspects such as population dynamics, migration, reproduction, feeding, habitat preferences, etc. Therefore, this paper provides valuable information for fisheries managers, policymakers and scientists involved in the aquatic species.
... (2017) studied mostly adults Mauremys leprosa turtles (more than 140 mm), species closely related to M. caspica, and turtles in this study were mostly juveniles (108-117 mm (Tok 1999)). Then, these higher concentrations in our turtles cannot be explained only for bioaccumulation, but for a higher exposition to most of these elements. ...
Due to their bioaccumulation and biomagnification pathways, inorganic elements can accumulate in high-level aquatic organisms in the food web. Then, this species can be used to monitor the quality of the environment. Blood concentration of nine inorganic elements, including possible toxic metals (An, Cu, Mn, Se, As, Ni, Cd, Pb, and Hg), in 20 males and 20 females from eight different locations with high industry and agriculture activities in Iran were evaluated in this work. Additionally, size, sex, condition index, and locations were also included and analyzed. Among the essential elements, Zn and Se presented very high concentrations (56.14 ± 2.66 and 8.44 ± 0.77 μg/g ww, respectively) in all locations. Regarding possible toxic elements, Pb and Cd presented concerning concentrations as well (0.52 and 0.58 μg/g ww); this is especially true for Pb, an element found in very high concentrations in tissues of turtles from the same area in a previous study. The sex and the size of the individuals also had significant differences in concentration of Pb, Cd, As, and Hg.
... In the distribution area during the last decade, several populations of the species have shown a critical decrease due to anthropogenic influences (Mantziou and Rifai, 2014). Recently, there has been an increase in the studies that are conducted on ecology of the species (Tok, 1999;Güçlü and Türkozan, 2010;Çiçek, 2011a, 2011b;Gül et al., 2014), whereas the information is limited compared to systematic studies in Turkey. This study presents several population characteristics and the distribution of M. rivulata, living in Gökçeada, Çanakkale where is located at the westernmost of Turkey. ...
In this study, we present data on the population of Western Caspian Turtle, Mauremys rivulata, from Gökçeada (Imbros) located at the westernmost of Turkey. The species is distributed almost all around the island, particularly in the western part, with a very low density. Distribution of the species on the island was mapped and a total of 73 individuals were captured and marked in Büyükdere, the largest river of the island. Population size was estimated at 135 individuals (SE — 11, range — 117 – 161) and density was calculated as 68 ind/ha. Moreover, Emys orbicularis, another freshwater turtle species, which cohabits in the west Anatolia, was observed again on the island after 15 years. Tourism, creeks with irregular flow regime and holding water in the dams negatively affect populations of aquatic species, primarily M. rivulata on the island.
... In Turkey, little detailed work on the taxonomic status and ecology of the genus Testudo has been carried out. Only Tok (12) discussed the taxonomic status and ecology of T. graeca ibera populations from the Refladiye Peninsula, focusing on a short description of them and their ecology. Taflkavak et al. (13) emphasized the morphologic difference between the Aegean and Mediterranean Testudo graeca populations. ...
Twenty-four (16♂, 8♀) specimens of the Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca were examined from Mardin, southeastern Turkey. For morphological comparisons, 15 morphometric characters and 31 ratios developed by combinations of straight carapace length (SCL) and straight carapace width (SCW) were investigated. Males and females were differentiated from one another in terms of straight carapace length/curved carapace length (SCL/CCL), straight carapace length/plastron length (SCL/PL), straight carapace length/abdominal suture length (SCL/AbSL), straight carapace length/anal suture length (SCL/ASL), plastron length/plastron width 1 (PL/PW1), carapace width/straight carapace length (SCW/SCL), carapace width/anal suture length (SCW/ASL), and carapace width/plastron width 1 (SCW/PW1) according to the results of independent t-tests. Females were generally larger than males. The maximum SCL (208.6 mm) was measured in a female. The color of the carapace and plastron was inconsistent and thigh tubercles typically extended in an inwardly curved direction with sharply pointed apices. This character was the most remarkable in distinguishing the Mardin specimens from the pure ibera race, which possesses conical thigh tubercles.
... In Turkey, little detailed work on the taxonomic status and ecology of the genus Testudo has been carried out. Tok (1999) discusses the taxonomic status and ecology of T. graeca ibera populations from the Refladiye peninsula and Türkozan et al. (2004) discuss the same issues in Testudo populations from the western Taurus mountains. Later, Taflkavak et al. (2002) pointed out the morphological difference between Mediterranean Testudo populations and those of the Aegean. ...
Sixteen specimens of Testudo graeca Linnaeus 1758 from 2 adjacent localities (Meke and Acigöl) in Central Anatolia were measured. Morphological characters standardised for straight carapace length (SCL) were compared with original raw values from Testudo populations from Aegean and south-eastern Turkey. The post-ANOVA pairwise analysis (Tukey's) across all groups verified sexual dimorphism in the Central Anatolian populations in terms of anal suture length (P < 0.05) and plastron width 2 (P < 0.05). Discriminant analysis based on standardised values provided 89.3% and 92.6% correct classification among males and females, respectively. The difference was clearer between the Aegean and Central Anatolian populations, with a more domed carapace (CH) in the males and shorter plastron length (PL) and plastron width 2 (PW2) in the females of the Aegean population in comparison with the Central Anatolian population.
... The study area was divided into the following 4 stations: Sta- They were transferred to the laboratory of the Zoology Section of the Department of Biology at Afyon Kocatepe University, and their morphometric measurements were taken, as they were in an inactive form, at +4°C; after establishing their taxonomic status, they were released to their natural habitats. All species were identified by comparing key morphological characteristics, such as the number of scales and plates, colour and pattern characteristics and body measurements and ratios, with previous herpetofaunistic studies (e.g., Schmidtler 1975, Baran 1976, 1977a, 1977b, 1982, Başoğlu & Baran 1980, Yılmaz & Uğurtaş 1990, Tok 1993, 1999a, 1999b, 1999c, Göçmen et al. 1996, Baran & Atatür 1998, Ayaz 2003, Kumlutaş et al. 2004, Afşar 2006, Cihan 2007, Güçlü & Olgun 2008, Afsar et al. 2011. The material list is presented in Table 1. ...
Amphibians and reptiles of the Baskomutan Historical National Park (B.H.N.P), situated within the borders of Afyonkarahisar province, were investigated between 2009 and 2013. Among the total 106 specimens collected from field work, 21 amphibians and reptiles belong to 13 families were identified. Of these, 1 was urodelan, 6 were anuran, 1 was a turtle, 1 was a tortoise, 7 were lizards and 5 were snakes. A zoogeographic analysis showed that the herpetofauna of B.H.N.P could be classified into at least 9 chorotypes in total. The most dominant chorotype being the Eastern-Mediterranean with 5 species, followed by the Turano-Europeo-Mediterranean and Turano-Mediterranean with four and Endemics Anatolia with three species. Detailed distribution data of this study could be basis for future action plans, protection and conservation measures of amphibian and reptiles in B.H.N.P.
... This paper remained the seminal contemporary work on the tortoises of Anatolia and Turkish Thrace until the last decade. In recent years a number of studies were carried out on the morphology and distribution of Testudo graeca populations from different geographical regions of Turkey and some of them pointed about the morphological variability of the populations (Tok, 1999;Taþkavak et al., 2002;Türkozan et al., 2003Türkozan et al., , 2004b. This variability was further supported by Pieh et al. (2002a) and he suggested that the Lake Van population is an undescribed taxon. ...
... The study area was divided into 7 stations. All species were identified by comparing key morphological characteristics, such as the number of scales and plates, color and pattern characteristics, and body measurements and ratios, with previous herpetofaunistic studies (e.g., Schmidtler, 1975;Baran, 1976Baran, , 1977aBaran, , 1977bBaran, , 1982Başoğlu and Baran, 1980;Baran and Gruber, 1982;Baran and Öz, 1985;Yılmaz and Uğurtaş, 1990;Tok, 1993Tok, , 1999aTok, , 1999bTok, , 1999cGöçmen et al., 1996Göçmen et al., , 2003Baran and Atatür, 1998;Tosunoğlu, 1999;Türkozan et al., 2003;Kumlutaş et al., 2004;Afşar, 2006;Cihan, 2007;Ayaz et al., 2008;Güçlü and Olgun, 2008;Eser, 2009;. The material list is given in Table 1. ...
This study investigates amphibian and reptile species of Madran Mountain. Specimens were collected in September 2011 and April and May 2012. A total of 23 species (3 amphibians and 20 reptiles) were determined. These species are thought to contribute to our knowledge of the Turkish herpetofauna. In addition, a chorotype classification of the species determined on Madran Mountain is given.
... . Two species of Mauremys (Geoemydidae) occur in Turkey (Ayaz et al., 2006;Fritz et al., 2007): Mauremys caspica (Gmelin, 1774), ranging from central Anatolia to Iran and Iraq and extending to the Caucasus region; and Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1883), ranging from the Balkans, including Greece, to the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal plains of Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel (Rifai and Amr, 2004;Bonin et al., 2006). In comparison to Emys orbicularis, the number of studies on the ecology and behavior of M. rivulata is limited (e.g., Gasith and Sidis, 1983;Rovero and Chelazzi, 1996;Cadi and Joly, 2003;Ficetola et al., 2004;Ayaz et al., 2007;Zuffi et al., 2007), but in recent years there has been remarkable interest in the population structure of Mauremys (Tok, 1999;Auer and Taşkavak, 2004;Chelazzi et al., 2007;Ayaz and Budak, 2008). Additionally, Rifai and Amr (2004) studied the sex-dependent growth rate of M. rivulata in Jordan. ...
This study aims to provide information about the population structure of Mauremys rivulata at the ancient Claros site near Selcuk, in Izmir province. To achieve this goal, a total of 120 turtles (27 males, 70 females, 23 juveniles) were marked and 33 turtles were recaptured between May 2004 and April 2005. Of these recaptured turtles, 20 were female (60.6%), 9 were male (27.3%), and 4 were juveniles (12.1%). The average population size was estimated at 217. This corresponds to 434 individuals/ha. The mean body mass was 189 +/- 147.5 g, which corresponds to a mean body mass of 82 kg/ha. The straight-line carapace length (SCL) of the specimens ranged from 55 mm to 181 mm (mean: 105.7 +/- 25.8 mm), while the body mass varied between 27 g and 823 g. The sex ratio of marked individuals was 3.01:1.17:1 (female:male:juvenile).
... There is only very scattered information on the ecology and biology of M. rivulata, and no long-term study has been carried out in Jordan, so far. There are nevertheless a few studies on the ecology and biology of the Striped-necked Terrapin in Palestine and Turkey (GASITH & SIDIS, 1983; TOK, 1999). The present paper is the first attempt to study the ecology, population structure, morphology and the distribution of Mauremys rivulata in Jordan ...
The biology of the Striped-necked Terrapin, Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833), was investigated in Jordan. The main study site was Birket al Ara'is, a natural spring-fed pond in the northwest of Jordan, close to the Yarmuk River. The distribution and habitat of this species throughout Jordan was investigated as well. This species inhabits polluted and unpolluted natural and man-made water bodies in the Mediterranean and Irano-turanian regions in north western Jordan. Mauremys rivulata was active in the morning and afternoon hours, while at midday they were mainly basking. At water temperatures around 12 °C, most turtles were completely inactive, and buried in the mud under water. More than half of the samples consisted of juveniles, while the ratio males / females was balanced. Morphometric studies were conducted on a total of 360 spec-imens. Straight carapace length ranged from 33 to 200 mm, within which females were larger than males (x=114.1 mm for females). Other measurements taken included weight, carapace width, plastron length as well as several tail measurements. Body ratios were correlated with sex. By the marking and recapture method the growth of 45 turtles was determined. Juveniles grew at a faster rate than adults, while males grew faster than females. The difference in growth rates was correlated to diet. Threats like habitat alterations and recent accessibility to the habitat are discussed. Kurzfassung. Die Biologie der Ostmediterranen Bachschildkröte, Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833), in Jordanien wurde untersucht. Am Birket al Ara'is, einem natürlichen Quellgewässer in Nordwestjordanien, nahe dem Yarmuk River, wurden die Untersuchungen durchgeführt. Die Verbreitung und Habitate dieser Art in ganz Jordanien wurden ebenfalls betrachtet. Sie besiedelt verschmutzte und saubere sowie natürliche und künstliche Gewässer der Mediterranen und Irano-turanianen Regionen im Nordwesten Jordaniens. Mauremys rivulata war in den Morgen-und Nachmittagsstunden aktiv; während der Mittagsstunden sonnten sich die Tiere meistens. Bei Wassertemperaturen von etwa 12 °C waren die Schildkröten zumeist inaktiv und verbargen sich im Schlamm auf dem Gewässerboden. Mehr als die Hälfte der beobachteten Schildkröten waren Jungtiere, während das Verhältnis Männchen / Weibchen ausgeglichen war. Morphometrische Untersuchungen wurden an 360 Exemplaren durchgeführt. Die Carapaxlänge variierte von 33 bis 200 mm, während die Weibchen größer waren als die Männchen (x=114.1 mm für Weibchen). Die anderen untersuchten Messwerte schließen das Gewicht, die Carapaxbreite, die Plastonlänge und verschiedene andere Parameter ein. Die Körperverhältnisse wurden geschlechtsbezogen betrachtet. Durch Markierung und Wiederfang wurde das Wachstum von 45 Schildkröten bestimmt. Jungtiere wuchsen schneller als die adulten Exemplare, während die Männchen schneller wuchsen als die Weibchen. Die Differenzen in den Wachstumsraten waren korreliert mit der Nahrung. Drohende Habitatveränderungen und gegenwärtige Zugänglichkeit des Habitats werden diskutiert.
... The population structure of M. rivulata and the syntopic E. orbicularis was studied in western Turkey by Auer & Taskavak (2004). Behavioural and ecological notes were reported by Tok (1999) in a morphological study of a population from the Re¸sadiye (Datc¸a) Peninsula on the eastern Aegean Sea (Turkey). Other studies performed on populations living in Israel considered different aspects of its biology and ecology: reproductive biology and diet , 1988, occurrence in polluted sites (Gasith & Sidis, 1984) and biochemical responses to environmental pollutants (Yawetz, Benedek-Segal & Woodin, 1997). ...
A declining population of the freshwater turtle Mauremys rivulata (Chelonia, Geoemydidae) living in a human-impacted area along the Strymon River, just upstream from Kerkini Lake (Prefecture of Serres, northern Greece), was investigated by capture–recapture and radio-tracking. Fyke nets placed along the river and in ponds lying on the riparian lowland gave about 2000 catches in 6 years, permitting us to assess major inter-habitat movements during ontogenesis and throughout the seasons. Annual intensive radio-tracking of 15 females and 10 males gave finer details of movement patterns between different river-wetland habitats. Younger specimens, including yearlings, inhabited the ponds almost exclusively, whereas the adult population shifted seasonally from the ponds during the mating season to a marsh area lying on the opposite side of the river for aestivation and overwintering. The river served mainly as a corridor for transit between the two habitats. Moreover, longitudinal movements along the river were observed, particularly in the males, which probably allow dispersal and gene flow between subpopulations living in the area. One major threat to the viability of M. rivulata in the study area is the diversion of water for irrigation during the summer, drying up the Strymon completely, which reduces the water level in the ponds. Livestock crossing the area for grazing and watering in the ponds is also of impact, as turtles in the ponds are trampled on and nests are disturbed.
... Kumlutas (Sivan and Werner, 1992). The two species of turtles (the Caspian Terrapin Mauremys caspica rivulata and the terrestrial Spur-thighed Tortoise Testudo graeca terrestris) occurring in the Golan Plateau were found to occur in most areas of the Mediterranean basin and the countries of the Middle East as well (Gasith and Sidis, 1983;Blasco et al., 1986/87;Tok, 1999;Disi et al., 2001;Disi, 2002 andTurkozan et al., 2003). In spite of the threats facing freshwater turtles worldwide, they have received relatively little attention in terms of stream and riparian wetland management (Bodie, 2001). ...
Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS), Beit Sahour, Palestine, www.wildlife-pal.org Ψ The Palestinian Commission for Development and Environment Protection (PEDCOM), Beit Lahia, Gaza Strip, Palestine. Abstract: The reptiles and amphibians of the Gaza Strip and Wadi Gaza were surveyed during a period of two years (2002 – 2004). A total number of 21 herpetofaunistic species (2 turtles, 8 lizards, 8 snakes and 3 anurans) belonging to three orders and 15 families was encountered. The species described were all resident and were mostly found throughout the year. The diversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the study area encouraged the occurrence of the species. However, the ever-increasing human impact on the existing natural resources in the Gaza Strip has threatened the ecology of wildlife, where the populations of frogs and many reptilian species are declining in an alarming fashion. The results reinforce the necessity of long-term inventories in order to understand the ecology and the dynamics of herpetofaunistic and other wildlife communities in the study area. Finally, the authors recommend improving cooperation of different parties to enhance the public awareness among the Palestinians and to implement environmental laws and legislation to conserve the sensitive and rare species of herpetofauna.
In this study, we report the amphibians and reptile species from Þanlýurfa Province. We conducted fieldwork for 60 days between 2016-2018 and additionally, we used the observation data from previous field excursions during the period from 2005 to 2016. A total of 53 amphibians and reptiles (six anurans, three chelonians, one amphisbae-nian, twenty-one lizards, and twenty-two snake species) were reported from Þanlýurfa Province. A colubrid snake Platyceps ventromaculatus previously reported for the Turkey is misidentified P. karelini confirming that P. ven-tromaculatus does not occur in Turkey.
Geographical distribution has an importance to contribute the conservation, ecology and evolution of the species. Many species have different evolutionary processes in their distribution area, and these processes were affected by many biotic and abiotic factors. In the present study, we contributed to knowledge of distribution of the Caspian stripe-necked terrapins, M. caspica in Turkey using geographical and bioclimatic data. The distribution of species was generally observed to be between the northwestern Black sea region and the northern of the central Anatolia region, between eastern Anatolia and southern Anatolia regions. In addition, our model shows that the species may be distributed in low level in the other parts of Turkey. The environmental variables contributed to highest gain for distribution of M. caspica were elevation (21.4%), Bio 12 (Annual Precipitation, 20.5%), Bio 10 (Mean Temperature of Warmest Quarter, 14.8%) and Bio 17 (Precipitation of Driest Quarter, 11.6%). Other variables showed a lower contribution than percentage 35. The final constructed models resulted in good and high AUC with a low standard deviation (0.912 ± 0.082) for M. caspica. The high AUC result and lower standard deviation exhibit that potential distribution area of the species was congruent with its habitat preferences inhabited localities.
Data on body size, population density, sex ratio, age, and sexual maturity are presented for a syntopic population of Emys orbicularis and Mauremys rivulata from Çukurköy, western Turkey. 49 E. orbicularis and 98 M. rivulata were recorded from May to October 2001. This corresponds to an estimated density of 2,250 E. orbicularis and 4,970 M. rivulata per km 2 water surface. Mean straight-line carapacial length was 124 mm for adult male (n = 13) and 146 mm for adult female E. orbicularis (n = 9); mean adult body mass was 336 g for males and 565 g for females. Average straight-line carapace length was 146 mm in adult male (n = 41) and 168 mm in adult female M. rivulata (n = 16); the mean weight was 381 g in males and 594 g in females. Sex ratios were 1.4 : 1 in E. orbicularis and 2.6 : 1 in M. rivulata (male : female). 55% of all captured E. orbicularis and 42% of all M. rivulata were juveniles. Male E. orbicularis could be sexed at 110 mm straight-line carapace length, when exhibiting 7 scute annuli (males). Equivalent data for M. rivulata were 86 mm and 3 annuli.
We examined a total of 29 specimens of the Mediterranean Spur-thighed Tortoise, Testudo graeca, from two localities in the Aegean region and southeastern Turkey: 7♂ and 9♀ from Izmir and 4♂ and 9♀ from Adiyaman. An analysis of variance based on 31 morphometric ratios revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in the ratios of straight carapace length/femoral suture length, straight carapace length/plastron width 2, plastron length/plastron width 2, carapace width/carapace height, carapace width/gular suture length, carapace width/femoral suture length, nuchal length/nuchal width, and carapace width/plastron width 2. Both populations can be characterized by those parameters. The colour and pattern were inconsistent in both populations, but black is generally dominant in the Aegean population, whereas the prevailing colour in the southeastern population is yellow. A quantitative and qualitative comparison of the electrophoretic pattern (electropherograms) of the blood-serum proteins of both populations revealed no differences.
Morphological variation among a population of Testudo graeca from two neighbouring sites of the Nemrut Volcano has been analysed, and six morphometric characters have been assessed in 305 specimens, mainly adults. This population shows remarkable morphometric differences. Macrohabitat differences among sites have been involved to explain this variability in the light of the huge morphological plasticity of this wide-ranging taxon.
Aim
The island rule describes a trend toward dwarfism of large animals and gigantism of small animals on islands. Studies of vertebrates, including reptiles, report conflicting results regarding the generality of this evolutionary pattern. We studied the size evolution of insular turtles at the intra‐ and interspecific levels, as well as the clade level. We examined the evolutionary patterns, the relationship of habitat preferences and insular turtle size and whether the island rule extends to turtles.
Location
Islands world‐wide and adjacent continents.
Methods
We collected data from the literature and expanded our database by measuring turtle specimens in museum collections. We used reduced major axis regression to test the island rule at the inter‐ and intraspecific levels, after accounting for phylogenetic effects. In addition, we compared body size frequency distributions of insular versus mainland turtles at the clade level.
Results
Our analyses revealed no support for the island rule in turtles. Intraspecifically, we found no systematic pattern of body size evolution. Interspecifically, large turtle species tend to become larger on islands, in contrast to the island rule predictions. Islands generally harbour larger turtles than mainland regions. This pattern is especially apparent when recently extinct species are considered. We found no impact of habitat preferences on the evolution of body size on islands.
Main conclusions
Turtles on islands do not follow the island rule. We suggest that both physiological and ecological factors drive turtle body size evolution on islands, and their tendency for insular gigantism. Large turtles can survive longer periods of water or food shortage on small oceanic islands. Increased intraspecific competition and reduced interspecific competition and predation on islands may favour large body size. A non‐mutually exclusive explanation is that the presence of giant tortoises on islands may reflect founder effects rather than evolution – large turtles are better island colonizers.
The genus Mauremys (Chelonia, Bataguridae) is widely distributed throughout Asia, Europe and NW Africa. Three species (Mauremys caspica, Mauremys rivulata and Mauremys leprosa) are discontinuously distributed around the Mediterranean region. Present distributions are much smaller than those documented within the fossil record of Mauremys in the Mediterranean region. All three extant species are identified on the basis of morphology. In the present study we compare partial mitochondrial DNA sequences of cyt-b from 16 populations of Mauremys rivulata from Greece, one from Jordan (M. rivulata), two from Syria (M. caspica) and one from Morocco (M. leprosa). Comparison of cyt-b partial sequences supports the monophyly of the three species considered, as well as their proposed taxonomic status (i.e. separation at the species level). Mauremys leprosa is the most differentiated of the three, M. caspica and M. rivulata being more closely related. Climatic changes during the Pleistocene influenced the distribution of M. rivulata and resulted in a latitudinal oscillation of the populations in a north - south direction in Greece, and consequently in a mixing of their genetic material. This hypothesis is confirmed by the absence of correlation between genetic distances and geographical origin of the specimens studied.
Two Turkish populations of Mauremys caspica and Mauremys rivulata were compared morphologically, serologically, and ecologically. Morphometric differences were noted among sexes and populations. Electrophoretic patterns demonstrated significant differences between the taxa and supported their status as distinct species.