A Third Specimen and Neotype of Heosemys leytensis (Chelonia: Emydidae)

Buskirk, James R.

doi:10.2307/1445633

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…-For over 80 years since the species was described, the failure of herpetologists to find S. leytensis at its alleged type locality on the island of Leyte, combined with a general absence of information on its ecology and natural history, led many to conclude that it was an extremely rare species (Taylor 1920;Alcala 1986;Buskirk 1989;Ernst and Barbour 1989;Das 1995;Gonzalez et al 1997;Gaulke and Fritz 1998;van Dijk et al 2000;Gaulke and Altenbach 2006). Data collected since the time of its rediscovery on Palawan Fidenci 2004) indicate that S. leytensis is not locally rare at all (Diesmos et al 2008;Schoppe et al 2010).…”

Section: Conservation Biology Of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…the plastron and carapace, the entoplastron intersected by the humeropectoral suture, the lack of quadratojugal bones, and the rudimentary scalation of the head (Buskirk 1989;Ernst and Barbour 1989;Ernst et al 2000). Wermuth and Mertens (1961) suppressed Heosemys and allocated most of its member species to Geoemyda, a placement that was rejected by McDowell (1964), citing the distinctive skull anatomy of turtles within the group (see also Ernst and Barbour 1989).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, S. leytensis is the sister species to S. crassicollis, a species that occurs from Peninsular Malaysia to Borneo (Ernst et al 2000). Nonetheless, there is high genetic divergence (ca.13% cytb) between S. leytensis and S. crassicol- 1922a, 1922b, 1923, 1925Buskirk 1989). It is therefore a logical assumption that the types of S. leytensis most likely originated from northern Palawan or the Calamian group of islands.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The types of S. leytensis (holotype, one paratype, and neotype ;Taylor 1920;Buskirk 1989) were collected by G.F. Lopez, a seasoned field collector from the Philippine Bureau of Science (now the National Museum of the Philippines). Lopez was known to have collected specimens for Taylor and served as his field assistant.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Siebenrockiella leytensis (Taylor 1920) – Palawan Forest Turtle, Philippine Forest Turtle

Diesmos¹,

Buskirk²,

Schoppe³

et al. 2012

Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises

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SummArY. -The Palawan Forest Turtle (or Philippine Forest Turtle), Siebenrockiella leytensis (Family Geoemydidae), is one of the most enigmatic species of freshwater turtles in Southeast Asia, and has been surrounded with more confusion and misconception than almost any other turtle in the region. For over 80 years, its true geographic distribution in the Philippines remained a mystery; its apparent rarity and the rudimentary knowledge of its ecology and natural history had bestowed upon it an almost mythical reputation. Long thought to come from the eastern Philippine island of Leyte, it was very recently discovered to actually occur in the Palawan region of the western Philippines. The species is the largest and heaviest geoemydid turtle known from the Philippines, attaining a carapace length of more than 300 mm and weighing as much as 3.5 kg. Known clutch size is 1-2, and eggs average 49.6 x 26.5 mm in size and weigh 18-30 g. As predicted by previous workers, the recent discovery of a natural population of S. leytensis on Palawan has already spurred a collecting frenzy among wildlife trappers and traders to supply domestic and international markets for the illegal wildlife trade. In spite of its official protected status in local and international listings, the illegal trade in S. leytensis is rampant and is perceived currently as the greatest threat to the species. This threat is exacerbated by the continuing destruction of the lowland forests of Palawan, the primary habitat of the species. If the current trend of overexploitation continues, it is certain that several subpopulations of S. leytensis will soon collapse. In the face of these threats, wildlife authorities on Palawan must immediately enforce relevant laws and encourage greater coordination among appropriate government agencies that typically work in isolation. Conservation programs need to prioritize efforts that will curb illegal collection of S. leytensis and other threatened species and monitor known populations. Top priority research studies for S. leytensis include population biology, ecology, and in-depth investigation of the dynamics of illegal trade in the species.DistriBution. -Philippines. The species appears to be restricted to the northern half of the island group of Palawan in western Philippines. It does not occur at the erroneous original type locality of Leyte Island in eastern Philippines.

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Section: Conservation Biology Of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Siebenrockiella leytensis (Taylor 1920) – Palawan Forest Turtle, Philippine Forest Turtle

Diesmos¹,

Buskirk²,

Schoppe³

et al. 2012

Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises

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Trade in live reptiles, its impact on wild populations, and the role of the European market

Auliya

Altherr

Ariano‐Sánchez

et al. 2016

Biological Conservation

184

160

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Of the 10,272 currently recognized reptile species, the trade of fewer than 8% are regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the European Wildlife Trade Regulations (EWTR). However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has assessed 45% of the world's reptile species and determined that at least 1390 species are threatened by “biological resource use”. Of these, 355 species are intentionally targeted by collectors, including 194 non-CITES-listed species. Herein we review the global reptile pet trade, its impacts, and its contribution to the over-harvesting of species and populations, in light of current international law. Findings are based on an examination of relevant professional observations, online sources, and literature (e.g., applicable policies, taxonomy [reptile database], trade statistics [EUROSTAT], and conservation status [IUCN Red List]). Case studies are presented from the following countries and regions: Australia, Central America, China, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Germany, Europe, India, Indonesia (Kalimantan), Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Western Africa, and Western Asia. The European Union (EU) plays a major role in reptile trade. Between 2004 and 2014 (the period under study), the EU member states officially reported the import of 20,788,747 live reptiles. This review suggests that illegal trade activities involve species regulated under CITES, as well as species that are not CITES-regulated but nationally protected in their country of origin and often openly offered for sale in the EU. Further, these case studies demonstrate that regulations and enforcement in several countries are inadequate to prevent the overexploitation of species and to halt illegal trade activities. (Résumé d'auteur

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