Freshwater Turtles - Science topic

The matrilineal evolutionary history and habitat preferences of the monotopic freshwater turtle Hardella thurjii remain largely unexplored, posing challenges for the development of precise and effective conservation strategies. This study provides the first complete mitochondrial genome sequence of H. thurjii (16,699 bp), encompassing 13 protein‐co...

Natural lakes and ponds typically feature green areas where people engage in recreational and sporting activities. In Italy, these areas are often inhabited by non‐native freshwater turtles, even at high densities. However, freshwater turtles have been identified as natural carriers for various pathogens that can be transmitted to humans, making th...

Counting animals when populations are spatially aggregated (e.g., breeding or nesting colonies, stopover or haul‐out sites) enhances the accuracy and efficiency of survey efforts for abundance estimation. Orthomosaics generated from drone images are commonly used to count aggregated populations, but these counts are subject to detection errors that...

Understanding animal movement is essential for assessing species' ecological needs and informing effective conservation strategies. This study investigates the short-term daily movement and home range of the Endangered (EN) pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) in the Kao River, Boven Digoel District, South Papua, Indonesia. Native to Papua Ne...

Understanding animal movement is essential for assessing species' ecological needs and informing effective conservation strategies. This study investigates the short-term daily movement and home range of the Endangered (EN) pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) in the Kao River, Boven Digoel District, South Papua, Indonesia. Native to Papua Ne...

Floating aquatic vegetation and algal blooms are increasing with global warming, potentially reducing UVB exposure and, consequently, vitamin D (vit-D) synthesis in freshwater turtles. Vit-D mediates calcium metabolism and overall health, yet the effects of floating aquatic vegetation on vit-D levels remain unclear, as is whether turtles actively a...

As part of the CNS, the retina maintains high metabolic activity yet is more tolerant to the adverse effects of low oxygen (hypoxia) than the brain. Tissue hypoxia is a component of ischaemia and has devastating effects on the CNS, including neuronal death. Differences in blood supply, oxygen consumption, and the expression of excitatory receptors...

The conservation of freshwater turtles relies on local knowledge and perceptions. This phenomenon is especially significant for communities located near turtle habitats. This study aims to investigate the influence of local communities' knowledge and perceptions of freshwater turtles on their attitudes, behaviors, and the resulting conservation out...

The Mediterranean Pond Turtle Mauremys leprosa, a ‘Near Threatened’ species, is poorly studied in Algeria and no data exists on its bacteriological carriage. However, knowledge about the microbiota of wildlife species is essential to develop holistic conservation approaches that integrate microbial health, habitat preservation, and species-specific...

The gut microbiota of vertebrates significantly influences host physiology, yet little is known about how habitat factors shape microbiotas in non-human species, especially freshwater turtles. This study explores the relationship between cloacal microbiota and serum metabolome in eastern longneck turtles (Chelodina longicollis), marking the first s...

The red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied, 1938), has been introduced worldwide, partly because of the exotic pet trade in the 1980s and 1990s. When T. s. elegans is released or escapes into natural environments, it often establishes new feral populations due to its tolerance for a variety of aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, it is now con...

Co‐developed conservation programs for Species At‐Risk, created in partnership between Indigenous Nations and non‐Indigenous researchers, represent a vital shift toward effective species recovery strategies that are culturally respectful and contribute to reconciliation within the natural sciences. By weaving together diverse knowledge systems and...

Small, isolated populations are often vulnerable to increased inbreeding and genetic drift, both of which elevate the risk of extinction. The Bellinger River turtle (Myuchelys georgesi) is a critically endangered species endemic to a single river catchment in New South Wales, Australia. The only extant wild population, along with the breeding progr...

Identifying the habitat area used by animals is vital for understanding species-level life-history traits and ecological requirements. The Maximilian's Snake-necked Turtle (Hydromedusa maximiliani) is an endemic and endangered freshwater turtle from the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil. We tracked 14 adult Hydromedusa maximiliani (seven males and seve...

The Red-eared Slider (RES), Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied, 1838), is a highly sought-after pet (Herrel and van der Meijden, 2014) and introduced freshwater turtle worldwide (García-Díaz et al., 2017; Seebens et al., 2017). This species has successfully established populations in all continents except Antarctica (Meyer et al., 2015; Dupuis-Desorme...

Color signals in animals are often honest, containing information about the individual for potential mates or predators. Both males and females may have honest color signals, though female signals are less often assessed for honesty. Different colorimetric traits, such as overall brightness, hue, ultraviolet brightness, or carotenoid chroma, may be...

Turtle fraservirus 1 (TFV1) is an emerging pathogen that was first discovered in freshwater turtles in peninsular Florida (USA) in 2018. The incubation period, transmission route(s), range of virus-susceptible species, and other key epidemiological factors that pertain to this disease are still unknown. Therefore, the primary aims of this work were...

Excessive metal pollution from anthropogenic activities like mining and industrial waste discharge has increasingly impacted freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater chelonians (Testudines) are bioindicators of environmental pollution because of their longevity, ecological diversity, and trophic positioning. This systematic review assessed toxic metal bio...

In Indonesia tens of thousands of freshwater turtles and tortoises are collected and traded annually for their meat, including a large proportion that is exported. Proponents of international wildlife trade often state that such international trade directly contributes to the livelihoods of numerous families, especially those at the source end of t...

Freshwater turtles are crucial to aquatic ecosystems and among the most threatened vertebrates globally. As wetlands are increasingly affected by urbanisation and climate change, translocating turtles may become increasingly common to prevent population declines. Freshwater turtle responses to translocation remain poorly understood. This study exam...

The Central Chiapas Mud Turtle, Kinosternon abaxillare (family Kinosternidae), is a medium-sized freshwater turtle (females to 162 mm straight-midline carapace length [SCL], males to 158 mm SCL). It is a monotypic species closely related to K. albogulare and K. scorpioides (sensu stricto). Populations are found in the Central Depression and Plateau...

We aimed to address two common challenges for scientists working with observational data: ''how to quantify the relationship between two observed (or measured) variables'', and, ''how to account for censored values'' (i.e., observations or measures whose value is only known to fall within a range). Quantifying the relationship between observed vari...

Plastic and other synthetic polymers pose a significant threat to wildlife, particularly aquatic organisms. Numerous reports have documented instances of animals, including fish, cetaceans, birds, and turtles, ingesting plastic. While the Chelonian group has received considerable attention in relation to plastic pollution, most studies have primari...

Climate change and human activity are changing the characteristics of freshwater systems all over the world. Water quality is an important environmental variable to turtles, and many species have limited tolerances to different abiotic parameters. Despite the potential for extreme effects of water quality variables on turtle physiology and behaviou...

The impact of road mortality on freshwater turtle populations on a global scale could be significant enough to cause the extinction of sensitive species. Essential data on roadkill abundance, composition, spatial patterns, and temporal distribution is needed for crafting mitigation strategies. To provide such information, a survey was conducted alo...

Freshwater turtles are highly diverse in the southeastern United States, yet few studies document how diversity is distributed in agricultural and rural landscapes. Furthermore, most previous work did not compare distributions between pond and river habitats with potential differences in selective pressures. We surveyed 64 sites in the Mississippi...

Human-induced land use practices can result in the bioaccumulation of metals in turtles. We assessed relationships between land use and pollutant concentrations in painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) and snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) through non-destructive tissue sampling across 22 sites within a mixed-use watershed in north-central West Vi...

R������. Este trabajo busca corroborar la presencia de tortugas dulceacuícolas en la Reserva Ecológica Ciudad Universitaria-Costanera Norte, evaluar si existen variaciones mensuales en la abundancia relativa de alguna de las especies observadas y estudiar su comportamiento y uso del hábitat. Se realizaron avistajes semanales desde octubre de 2022 a...

Freshwater turtles are members of order Testudines in class Reptilia and being scavengers, carnivores as well as herbivores, they play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems. Freshwater turtles are facing illegal trade due to their demaned as food, pets and their use in medicines. Various studies in the last two decades have highlighted that their popu...

Introduction Aperema (Rhinoclemmys punctularia) is a South American semi-aquatic freshwater turtle characterized by a highly curved, dark brown to black carapace and is distributed across Central and South America. Climate change affects freshwater turtles in a number of ways, including temperature, hatchling sex, and survival. Methods Therefore,...

Turtle acanthocephalans, within the genus Neoechinorhynchus, are a relatively understudied group of organisms, and most of these reports are scattered throughout the literature. This has resulted in a relatively poor understanding of host-parasite associations for turtle Neoechinorhynchus species. Therefore, the goal of this review was to assess th...

Rio Grande Cooters (Pseudemys gorzugi) occupy the Rio Grande watershed and have among the smallest ranges of all North American freshwater turtles. Anthropogenic dewatering is considered to have caused range contractions and population declines. We sought to facilitate management recommendations by determining the extent of movement and potential a...

The Northern River Terrapin, Batagur baska (Gray, 1830), is a critically endangered freshwater turtle, primarily found in the estuaries and tidal regions of large rivers in South and Southeast Asia. B. baska has experienced extensive population declines and extirpations across most of its range, with no confirmed wild populations remaining. To supp...

Two freshwater turtle species of the genus Mauremys are known to occur in South Korea: M. sinensis and M. reevesii. Mauremys sinensis is an invasive alien species, whereas M. reevesii is a legally protected and native species to South Korea. They occur sympatrically and their hybrids have recently been found both in captivity and in the wild, posin...

Urbanization may significantly impact wild population dynamics, even in protected green spaces. From 2016 to 2018, we accessed an assemblage of freshwater turtles isolated in an urban remnant of the Atlantic Forest, southern Brazil. We captured turtles by active search, hookless fishing, and funnel trap, and we marked them individually. Using a cap...

The conservation of freshwater turtle species depends on precise and effective monitoring techniques. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a potential method for identifying cryptic and elusive turtle species in aquatic ecosystems. eDNA analysis can help to identify key regions for conservation efforts and monitor changes in population levels over...

Freshwater turtle species preservation relies on understanding their population dynamics and geographical distribution. Amur softshell turtles (ASTs [Pelodiscus maackii]) are poorly protected due to insufficient awareness and the population in Northeastern China has experienced a steep decline compared to previous years. This study aims to investig...

Hibernation is a crucial aspect of the life history of freshwater turtles inhabiting temperate regions. Therefore, understanding their hibernation habitat selection is essential for the targeted conservation of turtle species and their habitats. The Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), a medium‐sized freshwater turtle, is widely distribu...

Characterizing how organisms respond to transient temperatures may further our understanding of their susceptibility to climate change. Past studies in the freshwater turtle, Trachemys scripta, have demonstrated that the timing and duration of heat waves can have major implications for the response of genes involved in gonadal development and the p...

The illegal trade in meat and pets is a well-recognized conservation threat to South Asian tortoises and freshwater turtles. We highlight additional threats from the trade in turtle body parts, particularly in dried calipee of softshell turtles. Evidence from media-reported seizures, publicly available government records and field-based information...

This paper presents a literature review of Amazonian turtles' hematological and biochemical parameters from different habitats. The methodology is based on information in other languages from reliable national and international scientific databases between 2000 and 2021. The results obtained in this study for the hematological and biochemical param...

The Yellow-bellied Slider Trachemys scripta scripta is known to occur only in the invaded range from Sweden, Finland to France, Austria and Spain. The present note reports, through the Tunisian Facebook group "TunSea" interested in the conservation of aquatic species, a new locality record of the Yellow-bellied sider Trachemys scripta scripta in Tu...

The Painted Terrapin ( Batagur borneoensis ), a critically endangered freshwater turtle in Malaysia, is facing rapid decline due to adult and egg harvesting for food and habitat loss from beachfront development. This study aimed to assess genetic diversity in random nesting sites along the Setiu River. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from saliva samples...

Adequate knowledge of wild fauna occurrence and habitat preference is essential for inventory and effective ecosystem management. This study at T.A. Afolayan Wildlife Park, Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria, assessed the occurrence, distribution, and habitat preference of wild animals. Data on animal population and habitat were co...

The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is a wide-ranging, long-living freshwater species with low reproductive success, mainly due to high predation pressure. We studied how habitat variables and predator communities in near-natural marshes affect the survival of turtle eggs and hatchlings. We followed the survival of artificial turtle nests p...

Cognition and memory ability is pivotal for animal survival and is believed to be particularly adaptive for long-lived species. Numerosity discrimination, crucial for resource management and social interactions, provides a quantitative framework that allows us to compare the performance and the recovery of previously established concepts after a lo...

In Australia, conservation fences are widely used to enclose threatened native species in an area while excluding European Red Foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) and Cats ( Felis catus ) that threaten them. However, conservation fences can have unintended negative consequences on other species within their vicinity, interrupting movement patterns and causing...

The Euphrates Softshell Turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) is an endangered freshwater turtle native to the Tigris‐Euphrates river system. Habitat destruction caused by dams and sand mining poses a major threat to the species. This study quantitatively assesses the occurrence of sandy areas in the upper Tigris in Turkey as a key component of their nestin...

Freshwater turtles play an important ecological and social role, with Podocnemis expansa (arrau turtle) being the largest freshwater Testudine in Latin America. The overexploitation of this species for the meat and egg by-products trade has significantly reduced P. expansa populations, which makes conservation actions necessary. The reproductive su...

We conducted mark-recapture surveys in 1992 and 2003 in the Gomti River, North Pradesh, India, to assess temporal variation in the geomydid turtle assemblage. The Crowned River Turtle (Hardella thurjii) was the most abundant species in 1992 and the Indian Tent Turtle (Pangshura tentoria) was most abundnat in 2003, with the population of H. thurjii...

Introduction Malayemys khoratensis is a freshwater turtle species endemic to northeastern Thailand and Lao PDR. While M. khoratensis is relatively common and widespread in Thailand, its population size and demographic trends remain largely unknown, as direct population estimates are lacking. This species faces significant threats from consumption,...

This note describes an agonistic encounter between two species of freshwater turtle (Graptemys pulchra & Sternotherus peltifer) from the Noxubee River, MS.

Classifying animal behaviors in their natural environments is both challenging and ecologically important, but the use of biologgers with multiple sensors has significantly advanced this research beyond the capabilities of traditional methods alone. Here, we show how biologgers containing an integrated tri-axial accelerometer, GPS logger and immers...

Anthropogenic landscape change due to urbanization, agriculture, and resource extraction results in barriers within the landscape. Artificial structures such as roads, fences, levees, and dams limit the movement of some species and further fragment residual habitat. In this study, we investigated the ability of Eastern long‐necked turtles (Chelodin...

Locomotion in water and on land impose dramatically different demands, yet many animals successfully move in both environments. Most turtle species perform both aquatic and terrestrial locomotion but vary in how they use their limbs. Freshwater turtles use anteroposterior movements of the limbs during walking and swimming with contralateral fore‐ a...

The gut microbiota of vertebrates is malleable and may be shaped by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Here, the effect that geography has on the cloacal microbiota of two species of Australian freshwater chelonians, eastern longneck turtle (Chelodina longicollis) and Macquarie River turtle (Emydura macquarii), captured from waterbodies with dif...

Sex‐ratio theory predicts that parents can optimise their fitness by producing offspring of the rare sex, yet there is a dearth of empirical evidence for adaptive sex allocation in response to the adult sex ratio (ASR). This is concerning, as anthropogenic disruption of the sex ratios of reproductive individuals threatens to cause demographic colla...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants known to pose significant risks to human and wildlife health. Freshwater turtles (Emydura macquarii macquarii), as long-lived species inhabiting aquatic ecosystems, are particularly vulnerable to PFAS bioaccumulation. This study investigated the multifaceted impact...

There are approximately 357 turtles and tortoise species worldwide, of which 33 freshwater turtles (terrapins) and tortoise species are found in the Indian subcontinent (South Asia). According to the IUCN Red List analysis, 85% of South Asian turtle species are threatened; vulnerable (VU), critically endangered (CR), and endangered (EN), while the...

Estimating the key demographic parameters of animal populations can enhance our understanding of system dynamics and assist in developing and improving conservation decision–support models. The Rio Grande cooter Pseudemys gorzugi is a conservation reliant freshwater turtle native to lower Rio Grande River Basin (USA and Mexico), with limited knowle...

Swinhoe's (or Yangtze) giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) is a large, critically endangered freshwater turtle and considered among the rarest species in the world. As of 2024, only two individuals have been confirmed to remain alive, one at the Suzhou Zoo in China and one in Xuan Khanh Lake, Viet Nam. The only hope for the long-term survival...

Swinhoe's (or Yangtze) giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) is a large, critically endangered freshwater turtle and considered among the rarest species in the world. As of 2024, only two individuals have been confirmed to remain alive, one at the Suzhou Zoo in China and one in Xuan Khanh Lake, Viet Nam. The only hope for the long‐term survival...

Species of Trypanosoma infecting reptiles are poorly understood and understudied. The study of trypanosomes infecting turtles could lead to a greater understanding of the genus and its evolutionary history. The present study re-evaluates and classifies two previously described species of Trypanosoma in freshwater pelomedusid turtles, Trypanosoma (H...

Ranacephala hogei is a South American freshwater turtle considered one of the 25 most endangered chelonian species in the world. Endemic to the Atlantic Forest hotspot of southeastern Brazil, the conservation status of R. hogei is subject to continuous assessment at various levels. However, the scarcity of data regarding this species, particularly...

Reproduction is a fundamental biological aspect of the recruitment of individuals and to maintenance of stable populations. Thus, an important question is understating the impact of human disturbances, such as fire, on reproduction success. In this study, we evaluated the effect of fire and environmental temperature on the reproductive recruitment...

Most Asians are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture, and most live in rural areas. Since Asia is primarily an agricultural economy, rural tourism and agrotourism are critical in enabling growth. Agrotourism is a term that refers to the fusion of tourism and agriculture. The freshwater turtles (Batagur sp.) are a group of six turtles tha...

This research was designed to investigate the acute toxic effect of cadmium chloride on freshwater turtle Mauremys reevesii. Mauremys reevesiis were exposed to a wide range of cadmium chloride by intraperitoneal injection for 7 days and the survival numbers of the animals were noted to determine the dose of cadmium chloride for 0% mortality rate (D...

Freshwater turtles are often used as terrarium pets, especially juveniles of exotic species. At the adult stage they are often released by their owners into the wild despite their high invasion potential. In Europe these thermophilic potentially invasive alien species occupy the habitats of the native European pond turtle Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus...

Illegal poaching and overexploitation for the international pet trade are among the greatest threats to freshwater turtles in Southeast Asia. Expanding consumer research in China is crucial to filling knowledge gaps about the scale and structure of illegal trade and developing audience‐targeted and relevant interventions that may reduce demand for...

Among reptiles, turtles are the most frequently traded species, and are often released in the wild once they become unwanted as pets. The common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina and the alligator snapping turtle Macrochelys temminckii are freshwater turtles native to North America. Although their trade is regulated in some countries, they have b...

Indochina, consisting of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, has one of the richest freshwater turtle and tortoise faunas in the world, but the region also contains the highest proportion of endangered and critically endangered species with four listed in the top 25 most endangered turtles and five others in the top 50 as a result of overexploitation and...

Freshwater turtles are important components of wetland ecosystems, but few studies have assessed the quality of created and restored wetlands for turtles. We determined whether habitat characteristics and abundance, body condition, adult sex ratio, and mean adult size of two turtle species, Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) and Snapping Turtles (Ch...

Fences disturb the movements of terrestrial species, altering migration patterns, limiting access to vital resources, and reducing genetic diversity. With almost 40% of the Earth's land surface converted for agriculture, farm fencing to protect crops and corral livestock is expected to stretch into the millions of kilometers. As semi‐terrestrial ec...

Global biodiversity has declined by an average 40% between 1970 and 2000. Wildlife trade is the second-biggest direct threat to species survival, after habitat destruction. Perhaps the most obvious problem associated with wildlife trade is that it can cause overexploitation to the point where the survival of a species hangs in the balance. This has...

Studies on the helminth parasites of South American freshwater turtles are rare and punctual. The parasitic fauna of Kinosternon scorpioides’ nematodes from Brazil is restricted to only four species: Serpinema magathi, Serpinema monospiculatus, Serpinema pelliculatus and Spiroxys figueiredoi. The present work aimed to report the occurrence of the s...

To address urban turtle sampling challenges, we presented Hookless fishing with clip, a cost-effective method for sampling this important group. Effectiveness, biases and potential advantages were analysed in comparison to two commonly used methods (funnel trap and hand capture). Fieldwork was conducted between August and November/2021 in four area...

Invasive species are a growing global concern. Modern transportation and the pet trade are facilitating the spread of invasive species. In particular, the global trade of freshwater turtles remains prevalent, with a significant emphasis on their utilization as pets. Aligning with other parts of the world, many recent studies reported a number of al...

Simple Summary Animal personalities could affect the behavior and physiology of both native and invasive species during biological invasion. However, little is known about the personality interaction effects on foraging behavior and growth between native and invasive species. We used the red-eared slider turtle and Chinese pond turtle as models to...