Status and Distribution of Nonmarine Turtles of the Philippines

Diesmos, Arvin C.; Brown, Rafe M.; Alcala, Angel C.; Sison, Rogelio

doi:10.2744/ccb-0672.1

Cited by 27 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…-In the past, the apparent rarity of S. leytensis and misconceptions about its origin have triggered discussion about its distribution pattern (e.g., Gaulke and Fritz 1998;Gaulke and Altenbach 2006). It is only recently that it has been established with certainty that S. leytensis is endemic to the Philippines, that it does not occur on Leyte Island, and that it is instead actually restricted to the Palawan group of islands in the western region of the archipelago Fidenci 2004;Diesmos et al 2008; Schoppe et al Siebenrockiella leytensis is known from northern Palawan (in the municipalities of Roxas, San Vicente, and Taytay), on the island of Dumaran northeast of Palawan, and from Puerto Princesa in the west central region of the island. There are unconfirmed records of the species from the islands of Coron, Culion, and Busuanga in the Calamian island group north of Palawan (Schoppe et al 2010;D.…”

Section: Conservation Biology Of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…-The Palawan Forest Turtle lives in forest habitats near sea level up to an altitude of about 300 m. Primary habitat is pristine lowland forest but the species has been found in disturbed and fragmented forests, second growth vegetation, and in cultivated areas (such as flooded rice fields) that are adjacent to remnant original forests (Schoppe et al 2010). The species inhabits streams, creeks, moderate-sized rivers, inland freshwater lakes, and freshwater swamps (Fidenci 2004;Diesmos et al 2008). Adult turtles are semi-aquatic, whereas hatchlings and juveniles appear to be fully aquatic (Schoppe 2006).…”

Section: Conservation Biology Of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The species may be found deep in the forest interior, especially during the warmest months of the year when most streams and small rivers have dried up. Siebenrockiella leytensis preys on fish, crabs, shrimp (genus Macrobrachium), and freshwater gastropods of the family Thiaridae (Schoppe 2006); it also feeds on algae and wild fruits, especially ripe figs (Diesmos et al 2008). The assumption of Schoppe (2010) that S. leytensis feeds on the golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata), an invasive alien pest species that is widely found in rice fields on Palawan, has been confirmed by an ongoing study (Schoppe, unpubl.…”

Section: Conservation Biology Of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The eggs are brittle-shelled, oblong, and pale pink in color. In captivity, turtles laid eggs from June through December (Yuyek 2004;Diesmos et al 2008;Schoppe, unpubl. data).…”

Section: Conservation Biology Of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…-The historical record of S. leytensis from the island of Leyte in east central Philippines ("Cabalian, southern Leyte"; fide Taylor 1920)-long designated as the type locality-is erroneous and resulted from a mislabeling of the type specimens (Diesmos et al 2008). In accordance with the provisions of Article 76 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999), we consider it advisable to correct the error at this time.…”

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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%

Section: Conservation Biology Of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conservation Biology Of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The eggs are brittle-shelled, oblong, and pale pink in color. In captivity, turtles laid eggs from June through December (Yuyek 2004;Diesmos et al 2008;Schoppe, unpubl. data).…”

Section: Conservation Biology Of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

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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Holocene Large Mammal Extinctions in Palawan Island, Philippines

Ochoa

Piper

2017

Climate Change and Human Responses

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The world’s economically most important chelonians represent a diverse species complex (Testudines: Trionychidae: Pelodiscus)

Fritz

Gong²,

Auer

et al. 2010

Org Divers Evol

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Pelodiscus is one of the most widely distributed genera of softshell turtles, ranging from south-eastern Siberia and Korea over central and southern China to Vietnam. Economically, Pelodiscus are the most important chelonians of the world and have been bred and traded in high numbers for centuries, resulting in many populations established outside their native range. Currently, more than 300 million turtles per year are sold in China alone, and the bulk of this figure comprises farmed Pelodiscus. Due to easy availability, Pelodiscus also constitutes a model organism for physiological and embryological investigations. Yet, diversity and taxonomy of Pelodiscus are poorly understood and a comprehensive investigation using molecular tools has never been published. Traditionally, all populations were assigned to the species P. sinensis (Wiegmann, 1834); in recent years up to three additional species have been recognized by a few authors, while others have continued to accept only P. sinensis. In the present study, we use trade specimens and known-locality samples from Siberia, China, and Vietnam, analyze 2,419 bp of mtDNA and a 565-bp-long fragment of the nuclear C-mos gene to elucidate genetic diversity, and compare our data with sequences available from GenBank. Our findings provide evidence for the existence of at least seven distinct genetic lineages and suggest interbreeding in commercial turtle farms. GenBank sequences assigned to P. axenaria (Zhou, Zhang & Fang, 1991) are highly distinct. The validity of P. maackii (Brandt, 1857) from the northernmost part of the genus' range is confirmed, whereas it is unclear which names should be applied to several taxa occurring in the central and southern parts of the range. The diversity of Pelodiscus calls for caution when such turtles are used as model organisms, because the respective involvement of more than a single taxon could lead to irreproducible and contradictory results. Moreover, our findings reveal the need for a new assessment of the conservation status of Pelodiscus. While currently all taxa are subsumed under 'P. sinensis' and listed as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, some could actually be endangered or even critically endangered.

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Status and Distribution of Nonmarine Turtles of the Philippines

Cited by 27 publications

References 12 publications

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

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

Holocene Large Mammal Extinctions in Palawan Island, Philippines

The world’s economically most important chelonians represent a diverse species complex (Testudines: Trionychidae: Pelodiscus)

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