Variation in shell morphology of the European pond turtle,<i>Emys orbicularis</i>, in fragmented central European populations

Horváth, Enikő; Danko, Stanislav; Havaš, Peter; Schindler, M.; Šebela, Miroslav; Halpern, Bálint; Csibrány, Balázs; Farkas, Balázs; Kaňuch, Peter; Uhrin, Marcel

doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blaa184

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…The higher inbreeding rates should produce higher FA levels if peripheral populations are smaller and more isolated. Indeed, this has already been observed by other authors (Horváth et al, 2021; Siikamäki & Lammi, 1998). Higher FA levels are associated with poorer locomotor performance (Lopez & Martin, 2002; Martin & Lopez, 2001), which raises an alert for the effects of climate change.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Habitat suitability and centrality—not peripherality—predict demographic performance in a Neotropical lizard

Nappo,

Campelo,

Machado

et al. 2023

Journal of Biogeography

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AimThe centre–periphery hypothesis (CPH) sustains that peripheral populations are subjected to harsher environmental conditions, which reduces demographic performance manifested, among others, by lower abundance, higher inbreeding and higher developmental instability. However, range centrality/peripherality is not necessarily a good proxy for environmental suitability since geographical distributions are often irregular in shape, barriers may limit dispersal towards suitable areas, and ancestral range shifts may have occurred unevenly in each direction. We evaluated predictions of the CPH for populations of the Neotropical lizard Notomabuya frenata by modelling the effects of environmental suitability and geographical centrality/peripherality upon demographic performance.LocationBrazilian Cerrado.TaxonNotomabuya frenata (Squamata, Scincidae).MethodsWe used populational values of body size, body mass, body condition, tail autotomy and fluctuating asymmetry (FA; a proxy of developmental instability) to estimate demographic performance. Then, we built correlative models to estimate environmental suitability for each sampled population. Finally, we used hierarchical Bayesian models based on a combination of stochastic partial differential equations and integrated nested Laplace approximations to model the relationships between demographic performance and predictor variables (geographical centrality/peripherality and environmental suitability) and make predictions across the geographical distribution of N. frenata.ResultsGeneralized boosting produced the best environmental suitability models. The total suitability area spanned more than 4 million km2 in cis‐Andean South America. All scalation counts presented some degree of asymmetry. Only three response variables—all related to FA—responded significantly to predictor changes. Contrary to the predictions of the CPH, one scalation count presented higher asymmetry closer to the range center and another in more suitable environments. Peripherality did not significantly influence any of the response variables.Main ConclusionsPopulations may respond differently to geographical centrality/peripherality and environmental suitability, as these characteristics do not necessarily coincide. Studies testing the CPH should ideally incorporate these different predictors of demographic performance.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Habitat suitability and centrality—not peripherality—predict demographic performance in a Neotropical lizard

Nappo,

Campelo,

Machado

et al. 2023

Journal of Biogeography

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“…There is a noticeable size difference between Emys orbicularis from different habitats, which suggests that one of the factors influencing turtle sizes is the difference in environment (habitat). The importance of different habitats for the size of European pond turtles was also emphasized by Eniko Horvath et al (2020) in their study investigating carapace anomalies. The authors emphasise that factors such as resource availability and/or the quality of differ-ent habitat features affect the plasticity of turtle shell shapes.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Morphometric measurements of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)(L., 1758) in Lithuania

Lukošiūtė¹,

Brimaitė²,

Pikūnienė³

et al. 2021

biologija

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In Lithuania, the number of European pond turtles Emys orbicularis decreased between 1975 and 2010, but increased significantly between 2010 and 2014, when the LIFE project was implemented. During this project, an ecological network was created, habitats were restored in protected areas, and European pond turtle nesting areas were protected from predators. Very few morphometric measurements of European pond turtles are carried out in Lithuania. The purpose of this study was to perform morphometric measurements, assess migration, spread, and morphometric size variation. Morphometric measurements of juvenile European pond turtles showed that the morphometric indicators depended on the place of habitation: males from Juodabalė Zoological Reserve (Meteliai Regional Park) are smaller than females. Also, female turtles from Meteliai Regional Park are larger than both males and females from Kučiuliškė Herpetological Reserve. When comparing the morphometric indicators of males and females at ten months of age, sexual dimorphism is already observed: the shell height, the width of the head, carapace, and plastron of a females are already bigger than those of males.

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“…An autochthonous population inhabiting the Tajba National Nature Reserve (NNR) has been a subject of long-term study (e.g. Novotný et al 2004Novotný et al , 2008Havaš and Danko 2009;Horváth et al 2017) and, currently, seems to be experiencing a demographic bottleneck (Horváth et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution range and population viability of Emys orbicularis in Slovakia: a review with conservation implications

Horváth¹,

Martvoňová²,

Danko³

et al. 2021

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The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is the only native freshwater turtle species in Slovakia. Due to watercourse regulations in the middle of the 20th century, its range became fragmented and, currently, there are only two isolated populations. From a total of 1,236 historical records in Slovakia, most observations (782 records) came from the area of the Tajba National Nature Reserve (NNR). Three of the population viability analysis models (‘baseline’, ‘catastrophe’, ‘nest protection during a catastrophe’) indicated the extinction of the population in Tajba, with the highest probability of extinction occurring during a catastrophic event (probability of extinction 1.00). We also evaluated information about the activity patterns of seven radio-tracked individuals and about the number of destroyed nests from the area. During the period 2017–2021, we recorded only two turtles leaving the aquatic habitat of Tajba. An alarming fact is the massive number of destroyed nests found in the area during the study period (Tajba 524; Poľany 56). Our results indicate that the population in the Tajba NNR require immediate application of management steps to ensure its long-term survival.

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Variation in shell morphology of the European pond turtle,Emys orbicularis, in fragmented central European populations

Cited by 6 publications

References 56 publications

Habitat suitability and centrality—not peripherality—predict demographic performance in a Neotropical lizard

Habitat suitability and centrality—not peripherality—predict demographic performance in a Neotropical lizard

Morphometric measurements of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)(L., 1758) in Lithuania

Distribution range and population viability of Emys orbicularis in Slovakia: a review with conservation implications

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