. We present survey data on one of the rarest turtles in the world, the Nubian flapshell turtle, Cyclanorbis elegans , on the basis of data coming from structured interviews with Bari fishermen of South Sudan and comparison of these data with those coming from our field studies. Our study documented that local ecological knowledge (LEK) data can be very useful to complement information on the natural history of rare and poorly known species and helpful to their conservation and management. We urge that any protected area focusing on C. elegans include a few of their communal nesting areas (as described by LEK) that should be carefully monitored to prevent collection of females or eggs during the reproductive period.

To better understand the habitat preferences of the African spurred tortoise ( Centrochelys sulcata ), we tested possible associations between their distribution and land use, vegetation cover, the presence of roads, human settlements, and rainfall patterns, all of which affect the distributions of other tortoise species. African spurred tortoise distribution (based on 36 presence points compared with 250 random points) was strongly associated with 3 variables we analyzed: 1) Corine Land Cover (CLC) categories (especially sites with deciduous shrubs and high herbaceous cover relative to random bare areas), 2) distance from human settlements, and 3) distance from the nearest road.

The Nubian flapshell turtle, Cyclanorbis elegans , is one of the rarest turtle species in the world and has even been considered as possibly extinct because no free-ranging individuals have been recorded in recent years. Here, we report on 2 large adults (> 60 cm total carapace length) of this species captured along the White Nile River course between the towns of Juba and Mongalla in South Sudan; these specimens were found in very large stretches of the riverbed, with the presence of seasonal and permanent wetlands (ponds and swamps) in the surroundings and with abundant bank vegetation. These turtles are hunted and eaten by local communities for subsistence and traditional medicine and are under serious threat due to overfishing and habitat loss.

Mono- and bispecific genera are noteworthy compared with multispecies genera because they either may be evolutionarily older or would represent not-yet-diversified young lineages, and being in some cases endemic to specific islands and archipelagoes, they also are of conservation concern. Here, the distribution patterns of the mono- and bispecific genera of freshwater turtles and tortoises and the distribution patterns of island endemics are analyzed, using a database provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature/Species Survival Commission Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. The mean number of species per genus varied significantly across biogeographic regions. Twenty-eight genera are monospecific, and 18 are bispecific, accounting for 48.9% of the total genera of tortoises and freshwater turtles worldwide. The Oriental region housed the highest fraction of these genera, followed by the Neotropical and Afrotropical regions. More than 11% of the total number of chelonian species ( n = 356) were island endemics, with most species being Neotropical. The majority of the endemic island species occurred in the Galapagos Islands and in Papua New Guinea. The endemism index varied remarkably among the various islands/archipelagoes, with the Philippines being the center of endemism with the minor value of the index and the Galapagos being that with the highest value of the index. Island size was correlated neither with the number of endemic species per island nor with the endemism index of each island, but it was significantly correlated with the total number of species (once the Galapagos were removed from analyses as an outlier). Species belonging to mono- and bispecific genera, as well as island endemic species, were more threatened (as a percentage; in all cases > 65%) than the overall percentage of threatened taxa in freshwater turtles and tortoises worldwide (50.3%).

We present a review and analysis of the conservation status and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) threat categories of all 360 currently recognized species of extant and recently extinct turtles and tortoises (Order Testudines). Our analysis is based on the 2018 IUCN Red List status of 251 listed species, augmented by provisional Red List assessments by the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG) of 109 currently unlisted species of tortoises and freshwater turtles, as well as re-assessments of several outdated IUCN Red List assessments. Of all recognized species of turtles and tortoises, this combined analysis indicates that 20.0% are Critically Endangered (CR), 35.3% are Critically Endangered or Endangered (CR+EN), and 51.9% are Threatened (CR+EN+Vulnerable). Adjusting for the potential threat levels of Data Deficient (DD) species indicates that 56.3% of all data-sufficient species are Threatened. We calculated percentages of imperiled species and modified Average Threat Levels (ATL; ranging from Least Concern = 1 to Extinct = 8) for various taxonomic and geographic groupings. Proportionally more species in the subfamily Geoemydinae (Asian members of the family Geoemydidae) are imperiled (74.2% CR+EN, 79.0% Threatened, 3.89 ATL) compared to other taxonomic groupings, but the families Podocnemididae, Testudinidae, and Trionychidae and the superfamily Chelonioidea (marine turtles of the families Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae) also have high percentages of imperiled species and ATLs (42.9–50.0% CR+EN, 73.8–100.0% Threatened, 3.44–4.06 ATL). The subfamily Rhinoclemmydinae (Neotropical turtles of the family Geoemydidae) and the families Kinosternidae and Pelomedusidae have the lowest percentages of imperiled species and ATLs (0%–7.4% CR+EN, 7.4%–13.3% Threatened, 1.65–1.87 ATL). Turtles from Asia have the highest percentages of imperiled species (75.0% CR+EN, 83.0% Threatened, 3.98 ATL), significantly higher than predicted based on the regional species richness, due to much higher levels of exploitation in that geographic region. The family Testudinidae has the highest ATL (4.06) of all Testudines due to the extinction of several species of giant tortoises from Indian and Pacific Ocean islands since 1500 CE. The family Testudinidae also has an ATL higher than all other larger polytypic families (≥ 5 species) of Reptilia or Amphibia. The order Testudines is, on average, more imperiled than all other larger orders (≥ 20 species) of Reptilia, Amphibia, Mammalia, or Aves, but has percentages of CR+EN and Threatened species and an ATL (2.96) similar to those of Primates and Caudata (salamanders).

The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) data set for the years 1990–2010 were analyzed to depict the main patterns of trade for tortoises and freshwater turtles of wild origin. About 2 million wild individuals were traded over 20 yrs of monitoring, with 48 species (of 335 turtle species in total) belonging to 10 distinct families being regularly traded and over 100 being at least occasionally traded. Most of the traded specimens belonged to the families Testudinidae, Geoemydidae, Emydidae, and Trionychidae (about 93% of trade). The trade of wild individuals reached its peak in the early 2000s, with this pattern being stronger in the Asian region. After the years 2003–2005, there was a substantial decrease in the number of wild exports from the Asian region, with a remarkable growth in the export numbers from the Nearctic region. It is unknown whether the reduction of exported Asian region turtle numbers depended on 1) CITES regulation and supervision or 2) a collapse of the wild populations. There were uneven frequencies of wild turtles traded by biogeographic region, with a higher amount of traded wild turtles coming from Asian and Palearctic regions. There were 107 exporting countries, with Malaysia, the United States, and Indonesia being the most important countries in the trade (each one responsible for over 20% of trade). Overall, there were 66 importing countries, with the most important being the United States (17%), China (15%), and Hong Kong (12%). The conservation implications of the observed patterns are discussed.

The chelonian fauna of Togo (West Africa) has been scarcely studied to date. In this article, we review and summarize all available data on the distribution, ecology, and conservation status of the chelonian species of Togo and present a short historical perspective on the development of studies on these reptiles. Overall, 13 chelonian species are found in Togo, 4 being marine, 3 terrestrial, and 6 freshwater. Among the marine species, only 2 of them nest on Togolese beaches ( Lepidochelys olivacea and Dermochelys coriacea ). Two species ( Chelonia mydas and L. olivacea ) are still locally common. Concerning the terrestrial and freshwater species, they differed remarkably in terms of their distribution by ecological zone. Cluster analyses revealed the existence of 3 clusters of species, 1 that contains the “forest” species, 1 accommodating the Sudanese savannah species, and a third cluster for the generalist savannah species. The conservation status of the various species and their dissimilarities in terms of threat score categories were assessed through a multivariate model following published work on African chelonian species in general. The results of this model indicate that the potentially most threatened species in Togo are Kinixys erosa, Kinixys homeana, and the 2 Cyclanorbis species ( C. senegalensis and C. elegans ), with Trionyx triunguis also being possibly seriously threatened. Overall, using the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List criteria, the concurrent presence of 2 Critically Endangered ( K. homeana , C. elegans ), 1 Endangered ( K. erosa ), and several Vulnerable species shows that the chelonian fauna of Togo should be of priority relevance for the competent international agencies.

The food habits of a freshwater pelomedusid turtle ( Pelomedusa subrufa ) were studied by fecal analysis and stomach flushing in 2 study areas in Nigeria. Males and females were predominantly carnivorous; they fed mainly on fish, tadpoles, and aquatic invertebrates but also on terrestrial vertebrates. Sexes overlapped highly in dietary habits during both wet and dry season. Body size clearly affected diet composition of turtles but did so only during the dry season (with smaller individuals feeding primarily on invertebrates and small vertebrates, and larger individuals on homeotherm vertebrates). There was a strong effect of season on diet composition, and turtles responded to increasing dryness with a shift from a diet based on aquatic organisms during the wet season to a diet based on terrestrial organisms, including small vertebrates, during the dry season.

Herman's tortoise, Testudo h. hermanni , is an endangered subspecies in Italy, France, and Spain. We studied a Herman's tortoise population in the Riserva Naturale Regionale Monterano in the Tolfa Mountains of central Italy. We found that, unlike most other studies of this and related species, sex ratios were 1∶1, and half the population was made up of juveniles. Sexual maturity was reached at 12 years in males and 12–13 years in females, and females were significantly larger. Tortoises greatly preferred open maquis habitat over other habitat types and thermoregulated so that body temperatures stayed consistently above ambient temperatures, especially under low ambient temperature conditions. Presence of ticks was significantly associated with an index of thermoregulatory behavior. We suggest that maintenance of open maquis habitat in this reserve is essential to high hatchling production and effective thermoregulation.

ABSTRACT The IUCN Red List status of Kinixys homeana is reassessed using interviews, field surveys, recent and old literature, and extrapolation of local trends (mainly in Nigeria). Available data indicate that numbers have declined drastically in recent years due primarily to habitat loss, hunting, and export for the pet trade. All these threats are still current and probably increasing, and we recommend change in status from Data Deficient to a minimum of Vulnerable A2cd.