A hotspot of xenodiversity: First evidence of an assemblage of non‐native freshwater turtles in a suburban wetland in Central Italy

Abstract

The present study reports on a case of high richness in an assemblage of non‐native freshwater turtles in a suburban wetland of Tyrrhenian Central Italy (Torre Flavia Nature Reserve), providing evidence for first observations of species at regional, national and continental levels. Following a standardized sampling procedure, 54 specimens belonging to seven taxa (ten taxa, including subspecies) were sampled. These included Trachemys scripta (overwintering in the nest of a juvenile, corroborating its reproduction in the wild), Graptemys pseudogeographica, Pelomedusa olivacea (first observation recorded for Europe), Pseudemys concinna, Pseudemys nelsoni, Mauremys sinensis and an unclassified Kinosternidae (Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum vel Sternotherus odoratus; first observation recorded for Europe at the family level). Due to the high frequency of the most common species (Trachemys scripta: >80% in frequency), this non‐native assemblage was characterized by high Simpson dominance, low Simpson diversity and low evenness values. This appears to be the first evidence of a local hotspot of these non‐native reptiles in Europe. These relevant data and their ecological implications (e.g., alien food webs) are discussed, as well as their conservation concerns and wetland management perspectives.

Chelonian challenge: three alien species from North America are moving their reproductive boundaries in Central Europe

“…This is in line with our capture data, and so far we have not detected hatchlings of P. concinna in KE. Both species are popular in the European pet trade and are occasionally noted as alien species in the wild (Ottonello et al 2014;Foglini and Salvi 2017;Ferri et al 2020;Uetz et al 2022 and references therein).…”

Alien Freshwater Turtles in Greece: Citizen Science Reveals the Hydra-Headed Issue of the Pet Turtle Trade

“…The Eastern river cooter (ERC; Figure 1b), native to North America, is recorded for the first time in Greece with only one record from Antonis Tritsis Park (Figure 3a), an anthropogenic environment in Athens, where at least three more alien species of freshwater turtle and one native have been released (Table S1). The presence of this species is not surprising and was anticipated since the ERC is one of the most actively imported substitute species following the APS import ban [34] and has already been recorded in several European countries including Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Hungary [57, 65,66].…”

“…The Florida red-bellied cooter (FRBC; Figure 1c) is recorded for the first time in Greece from four different localities; three in Attica and one in Thessaloniki (Figure 3c). Native to North America, the FRC has already been recorded in Italy and Spain with a particularly broad distributional range in the latter [56,65], while its presence in other European countries can be hinted by numerous records in citizen-science platforms [57]. In contrast to the other freshwater turtle species, which are mainly carnivorous, the FRC is a strictly herbivorous species [72].…”

First Worldwide Evidence of Bronchopulmonary Strongyle Nematodes and the First Report on Italy of Cryptosporidium sp. in Allochthonous Nutria (Myocastor coypus)

“…We studied a nutria population in Central Italy (Lazio region), within the borders of a small Tyrrhenian coastal wetland ("Palude di Torre Flavia") which hosts a rich assemblage of non-native animal species, both invertebrates and vertebrates [25][26][27][28]. Here, nutria was first detected in 2004, and the actual population originated from specimens probably coming from the Tiber River, about 27 km away [29].…”