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Diversity
Special Issues
Freshwater Turtles in Anthropogenic Landscapes
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Freshwater Turtles in Anthropogenic Landscapes

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Freshwater Biodiversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1739

Editor

Dr. Ivana Mali

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, 2820 Faucette Drive, Campus Box 8001, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Interests: freshwater turtle conservation and management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Turtles have persisted for over 200 million years, yet their evolutionary success is increasingly threatened in the modern era. Today, they are among the most imperiled vertebrate groups, facing pressures ranging from direct harvest to habitat alteration. Characterized by longevity, delayed maturity, and the ability of adults to survive in suboptimal conditions, turtles often respond to environmental change on much longer timescales than many other taxa.

This Special Issue seeks to explore the complex relationship between turtles and anthropogenic landscapes, encompassing a broad range of topics—including, but not limited to, population and community ecology (e.g., diet, reproduction), conservation, demography, behavior, disease, toxicology, and genetics. Our goal is to expand current knowledge and highlight future research needs in human-altered environments.

Dr. Ivana Mali
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • turtle conservation
  • anthropogenic impacts
  • population ecology
  • longevity and demography
  • habitat alteration

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1918 KB  
Article
Urban Wetlands as Reservoirs of Non-Native Turtles: Linking Confiscation Records and Field Observations in a Tropical Urban Environment
by Juan Sebastían Cárdona-Corredor, Andrés Felipe Arana-Aguilar and Alan Giraldo
Diversity 2026, 18(7), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/d18070401 - 1 Jul 2026
Viewed by 232
Abstract
Colombia hosts 28 species of freshwater and terrestrial turtles, yet anthropogenic pressures such as illegal trafficking and urban expansion have intensified risks. In Cali, non-native turtles are frequently introduced into wetlands through pet abandonment and confiscations, creating novel assemblages in urban ecosystems. To [...] Read more.
Colombia hosts 28 species of freshwater and terrestrial turtles, yet anthropogenic pressures such as illegal trafficking and urban expansion have intensified risks. In Cali, non-native turtles are frequently introduced into wetlands through pet abandonment and confiscations, creating novel assemblages in urban ecosystems. To examine this issue, ecological surveys were conducted in three urban wetlands during December 2024, complemented by enforcement records from the Wildlife Rescue Center (WRC) spanning 2015–2023 and reports from environmental authorities. Turtles were captured manually using natural baits placed in floating containers or along shoreline areas to attract individuals, then identified morphologically, measured for standard morphometric parameters, and released at the site of capture. WRC records were reviewed to assess species composition and causes of admission. Field sampling yielded 109 individuals representing four species (Trachemys callirostris, Podocnemis unifilis, Kinosternon leucostomum, Rhinoclemmys melanosterna). WRC records documented 2751 individuals across 11 species, with five taxa accounting for over 96% of admissions. Both datasets revealed a predominance of Trachemys callirostris. Morphometric data indicated multiple size classes, suggesting demographic heterogeneity within the turtle populations inhabiting the sampled wetlands. The overlap between confiscation records and wetland observations suggests potential links between illegal trade and species presence in urban wetlands, while the predominance of voluntary surrenders reflect the influence of enforcement activity and pet abandonment. Collectively, these findings demonstrate how urban wetlands facilitate the persistence of non-native turtles, reshaping species composition and underscoring the urgency of integrated strategies that combine enforcement, habitat management, veterinary protocols, and citizen education to safeguard native biodiversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater Turtles in Anthropogenic Landscapes)
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15 pages, 615 KB  
Article
Impervious Surface Is Not a Strong Predictor of Contaminant Accumulation in Freshwater Turtles in a Rapidly Urbanizing Region
by Ana G. G. Sapp, Frank X. Weber, W. Gregory Cope, Christopher E. Moorman, Emma M. Wilson and Ivana Mali
Diversity 2026, 18(3), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/d18030131 - 24 Feb 2026
Viewed by 857
Abstract
Due to the relatively long lifespan and resilience of adults to environmental stressors, freshwater turtles are characterized as bioaccumulators of chronic contaminant exposure in urban ecosystems. Urbanization increases pollutants, resulting in subsequent runoff into streams. We evaluated the relationship between percent impervious surface [...] Read more.
Due to the relatively long lifespan and resilience of adults to environmental stressors, freshwater turtles are characterized as bioaccumulators of chronic contaminant exposure in urban ecosystems. Urbanization increases pollutants, resulting in subsequent runoff into streams. We evaluated the relationship between percent impervious surface and contaminant concentrations in turtles from 20 wetlands in Wake County, North Carolina, USA, one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. We evaluated the concentrations of eight environmental contaminants known to cause human and environmental health issues listed under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), and silver (Ag), as well as vanadium (V) and copper (Cu) due to their presence in urban environments and bioaccumulation, in the blood and claws from Chelydra serpentina and Trachemys scripta. All contaminants, except for Cd and Ag, were detected in both species and both tissue types. Carnivorous Chelydra serpentina exhibited higher concentrations of Se and Hg than omnivorous Trachemys scripta. Partial redundancy analysis indicated that species accounted for more variance in the data than % impervious surface at a 2200-m scale. Robust mixed-effects models showed that % impervious surface was not correlated with contaminant concentrations in either species. Although we documented no relationship between urbanization and contaminant concentrations, we recommend additional research to investigate the effects of urbanization over time in this rapidly developing region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater Turtles in Anthropogenic Landscapes)
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Review

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18 pages, 1132 KB  
Review
Increased State of Knowledge and Extinction Risks of the Tortoise and Freshwater Turtles of Colombia
by Vivian P. Páez and Brian C. Bock
Diversity 2026, 18(7), 414; https://doi.org/10.3390/d18070414 - 8 Jul 2026
Abstract
A decade ago, several publications summarized the state of knowledge on Colombia’s non-marine turtle species, and in 2015, the Colombian Red Book of Reptiles assessed their national conservation status, yielding information to guide research and conservation priorities in this biodiverse country. However, a [...] Read more.
A decade ago, several publications summarized the state of knowledge on Colombia’s non-marine turtle species, and in 2015, the Colombian Red Book of Reptiles assessed their national conservation status, yielding information to guide research and conservation priorities in this biodiverse country. However, a recent initiative has produced or updated the global extinction risk assessments of Latin American non-marine turtle species. We summarize the current state of knowledge on Colombian populations of these species and propose new research and conservation priorities. The number of threatened turtle species in Colombia and the magnitude of the threats they face are greater than previously thought. Despite advances in research on the Colombian populations of these species, knowledge biases exist across species, with many important aspects of their life histories and population trends poorly understood. Given the speed of habitat loss and degradation, the current levels of exploitation, and the lack of enforcement of the legislation that protects them, we predict continued declines in population densities and distributions. We emphasize the need for more life-history studies and monitoring of population trends and threats to assign a more realistic category of national extinction risk and request the implementation of conservation legislation and the establishment of conservation programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater Turtles in Anthropogenic Landscapes)
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