Risk of invasion by frequently traded freshwater turtles

Masin, Simone; Bonardi, Anna; Padoa‐Schioppa, Emilio; Bottoni, L.; Ficetola, Gentile Francesco

doi:10.1007/s10530-013-0515-y

Cited by 54 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…The pond slider has been able to reproduce in new locations, and currently has a widespread distribution including Central America, South America, Europe and Asia (Rödder et al ., ). It is the only turtle considered to be globally invasive (Masin et al ., ). Observed consequences of the appearance of the pond slider in new communities include strong competition with native turtle species (Cadi & Joly, ; Polo‐Cavia, López & Martín, , , ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasion risk of the pond slider turtle is underestimated when niche expansion occurs

et al. 2016

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Summary In recent years, changes have been detected in the climatic niches of several non‐native species. In spite of this, and although Ecological Niche Models (ENMs) assume species show climatic niche conservatism, most studies still use ENM to assess the risks of invasion by alien species. In this study, we tested how niche expansion of the pond slider (Trachemys scripta) differs in invaded continents and how the performance of ENMs is affected by different niche shift scenarios. We described niche equivalence (whether native and invaded niches are identical), unfilling (native niche not present in invasive niche), expansion (invasive niche not present in native niche) and stability, based on the pond slider native and invaded occurrence points. We created an ENM using a Maxent method, based on the native occurrences of this turtle, and evaluated the model's performance using invasive records. Our results indicate that the pond slider niche changed when new areas that were either warmer (Asia and Latin America) or colder (Europe) than its native niche were invaded. Processes related to niche shift (stability, unfilling, and expansion) varied between continents. We also found that niche expansion is not a good predictor of ENM performance, which may indicate that the effects of this process on model performance are more complex than a simple direct effect. Finally, ENMs had especially poor performance when evaluated for sensitivity (percentage of presence records correctly predicted as presences in the models), reiterating the problems of using ENMs and their traditional evaluation methods when focal species do not conserve their native niche. We draw attention to important mitigatory measures, such as environmental education and strong control of trade to manage invasion by the pond slider turtle, since we still lack standard methods to predict the potential invasion risks for new areas when focal species do not conserve their native niche.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasion risk of the pond slider turtle is underestimated when niche expansion occurs

et al. 2016

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“…A parallel increase in the number of new introductions of exotic reptiles has also been observed (Kraus, 2009;Van Wilgen et al, 2010;Henderson et al, 2011;Mateo et al, 2011). 1) are a group that have experienced one of the largest increases in the number of new introductions, and establishment of exotic populations, worldwide through the global trade in pet animals (Lever, 2003;Kraus, 2009;Masin et al, 2013). 1) are a group that have experienced one of the largest increases in the number of new introductions, and establishment of exotic populations, worldwide through the global trade in pet animals (Lever, 2003;Kraus, 2009;Masin et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The United States exported over 23.6 million slider turtles, between 1998 and 2002 alone, and the species has been introduced in at least 73 countries across all of the permanent ice-free continents (Lever, 2003;Schlaepfer et al, 2005;Kraus, 2009;Ficetola et al, 2012). The slider turtle is the best known case of a widely established exotic turtle species, but there are many more species available in the global turtle market that could pose a similar risk (Masin et al, 2013). Pet turtles have also been recorded to transmit the bacteria Salmonella, which causes salmonellosis, to humans (Harris et al, 2009;Angulo et al, 2010;Hulme, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the biological invasion risk posed by the global wildlife trade: propagule pressure drives the introduction and establishment of Nearctic turtles

García‐Díaz

Ross

Ayres

et al. 2014

Global Change Biology

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Biological invasions are a key component of human-induced global change. The continuing increase in global wildlife trade has raised concerns about the parallel increase in the number of new invasive species. However, the factors that link the wildlife trade to the biological invasion process are still poorly understood. Moreover, there are analytical challenges in researching the role of global wildlife trade in biological invasions, particularly issues related to the under-reporting of introduced and established populations in areas with reduced sampling effort. In this work, we use high-quality data on the international trade in Nearctic turtles (1999-2009) coupled with a statistical modelling framework, which explicitly accounts for detection, to investigate the factors that influence the introduction (release, or escape into the wild) of globally traded Nearctic turtles and the establishment success (self-sustaining exotic populations) of slider turtles (Trachemys scripta), the most frequently traded turtle species. We found that the introduction of a species was influenced by the total number of turtles exported to a jurisdiction and the age at maturity of the species, while the establishment success of slider turtles was best associated with the propagule number (number of release events), and the number of native turtles in the jurisdiction of introduction. These results indicate both a direct and indirect association between the wildlife trade and the introduction of turtles and establishment success of slider turtles, respectively. Our results highlight the existence of gaps in the number of globally recorded introduction events and established populations of slider turtles, although the expected bias is low. We emphasize the importance of researching independently the factors that affect the different stages of the invasion pathway. Critically, we observe that the number of traded individuals might not always be an adequate proxy for propagule pressure and establishment success.

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“…; Masin et al . ). Thus, a dramatic and increasing colonization process by alien turtle species is occurring worldwide (Da Silva & Blasco ; Petterino et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…As the occurrence of non‐native species in urban freshwater pond is the priority (Masin et al . ), some management recommendations based on a DPSIR approach also are presented (Kristensen ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence patterns of alien freshwater turtles in a large urban pond ‘Archipelago’ (Rome, Italy): Suggesting hypotheses on root causes

Santo¹,

Vignoli

Carpaneto

et al. 2017

Lakes & Reservoirs

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The patterns of the occurrence and distribution of alien freshwater turtle species in an urban pond archipelago (Rome, Italy) were analysed, with the aim of exploring the role of a set of factors (type of ponds, landscape context, size area, distance from the nearest road) with a generalized linear model approach. A total of 311 ponds subdivided in three types (fountains, small basins, lakes) embedded in different landscape contexts (public parks, private parks, urban areas) at differing distances from the nearest road were sampled. Six non-native freshwater turtle species in 31 sites were recorded (9.97%). Lakes exhibited the highest occurrence rates of alien freshwater turtles, compared to small basins and fountains. Freshwater turtle species in urbanized areas were only observed in parks (both public and private). In both the public and private parks, the lakes exhibited the highest percentage of occupied sites, with fountains being the lowest. A direct and significant relationship was observed between pond size and species richness. The distance from the nearest road did not appear to affect species richness. A first interpretation of the data from this study facilitated the postulation of two a posteriori hypotheses that should be tested, as follows: (i) the causal process of turtle release is random, and the rate of extinction (and recapture) is higher in smaller ponds, thus producing the observed pattern; and (ii) the turtle release is not random, and people actively select the ponds they consider more suitable for their pet animals. In this study, it appears the lakes were perceived by those who abandon their pets as the most ecologically suitable habitats among other pond types to accommodate the different species of turtles. Knowledge of people's attitudes in regard to releasing pet animals also might assist managers of public green spaces to develop strategies aimed to preserve local biodiversity, and to educate the public about the conservation issue represented by the alien species.

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Risk of invasion by frequently traded freshwater turtles

Cited by 54 publications

References 55 publications

Invasion risk of the pond slider turtle is underestimated when niche expansion occurs

Invasion risk of the pond slider turtle is underestimated when niche expansion occurs

Understanding the biological invasion risk posed by the global wildlife trade: propagule pressure drives the introduction and establishment of Nearctic turtles

Occurrence patterns of alien freshwater turtles in a large urban pond ‘Archipelago’ (Rome, Italy): Suggesting hypotheses on root causes

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