Turtles, a speciose group consisting of more than 300 species, demonstrate karyotypes with diploid chromosome numbers ranging from 2n = 26 to 2n = 68. However, cytogenetic analyses have been conducted only to 1/3rd of the turtle species, often limite...
An auditory ability is essential for communication in vertebrates, and considerable attention has been paid to auditory sensitivity in mammals, birds, and frogs. Turtles were thought to be deaf for a long time; however, recent studies have confirmed...
The spread of non-native freshwater turtles in urban, peri-urban, and natural environments poses increasing ecological and sanitary concerns, particularly due to their potential role as reservoirs of infectious agents. Among these, DNA viruses remain...
Freshwater acidification (FA) has become a global environmental problem, posing a potential threat to freshwater ecosystems. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the host’s response and adaptation to new environments. In this study, we in...
Ovariectomy via the prefemoral fossa is a well-described technique for sterilization in chelonians. The choice between lateral and dorsal recumbency is generally left to the surgeon’s preference, with no data supporting an objective superiority...
This study compares the effects of two different doses of propofol administered intravenously (IV), in the jugular vein, to red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans). In this crossover study, 5 or 10 mg/kg propofol was administered to six Trachem...
The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) undergoes numerous changes to its physiological and metabolic processes to survive without oxygen. During anoxic conditions, its metabolic rate drops drastically to minimize energy requirements. The al...
Turtles are suspected to be involved in the epidemiology of Leptospira; however, data about the dissemination of this zoonotic pathogen among chelonians are scant. In the present study, the serum samples collected from 49 Trachemys scripta elegans li...
The use of long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists to suppress fertility has been poorly investigated in reptiles, and the few available studies show inconsistent results. The efficacy of single and double intramuscular 4.7 mg desl...
Understanding the ecological behavior of invasive species is essential for assessing their impacts on native biodiversity. This study examines the basking dynamics of the invasive freshwater turtle Trachemys scripta in a Mediterranean wetland within...
The fungal pathogens Fusarium keratoplasticum and Fusarium falciforme are responsible for the emerging infectious disease named sea turtle egg fusariosis (STEF). This disease affects all sea turtle species throughout the world, causing low hatching s...
Urban parks are green areas of cities where families and children spend hours outside. Turtles often inhabit urban parks. However, even if the animals seem harmless, they may serve as both reservoirs or accidental hosts for different serotypes of Lep...
Hyperuricemia (HUA), a metabolic disorder characterized by elevated serum uric acid (UA) levels resulting from purine metabolism dysfunction, is closely associated with gout, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Current pharmacological treatmen...
Oxidative stress has been acknowledged as a major factor in aging, senescence and neurodegenerative conditions. Mammalian models are susceptible to these stresses following the restoration of oxygen after anoxia; however, some organisms including the...
Investigating the physiological and biochemical changes of ectothermic species before entering hibernation would contribute to the understanding of how they adapt to low-temperature environments. Here, red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elega...
Background/Objectives: The IUCN endangered spotted pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii) demonstrates markedly reduced resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila-induced infections compared to the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta). This study investigates th...
This study was conducted to determine the reutilization, distribution, and import status of invasive alien turtles in South Korea. The results showed that a total of nine invasive alien turtle species including Trachemys scripta, which is designated...
Island wetlands are considered crucial to biodiversity due to their unique ecological, biogeographical, and socioeconomic dynamics. However, these habitat types are particularly vulnerable to invasion; invasive species can cause severe ecological, ev...
Mammals and reptiles possess a metanephric kidney as the terminal renal organ for homeostasis of solutes and waste products. The development of the metanephric kidney has primarily been studied in mammalian model systems. Little is known about the co...
Haemogregarines (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) are the most common and widespread reptilian blood parasites. Haemogregarina stepanowi was the first haemogregarine described from a reptile, the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis, and initial assessments...
Ranaviruses are an important wildlife pathogen of fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Previous studies have shown that susceptibility and severity of infection can vary with age, host species, virus strain, temperature, population density, and presence o...
Vitamin A deficiency is common in pond sliders, and vitamin E and B1 deficiencies have also been described in carnivorous aquatic species such as crocodiles, but otherwise little is known about vitamin concentrations in the blood of reptiles, and ref...
Based on the critical review of the literature published in the last 22 years, an attempt was made to evaluate the current knowledge gap on the distribution and status of the native Testudines taxa occurring in Sicily (namely Caretta caretta, Emys tr...
As the most common pollutant in aquaculture systems, the toxic effects of ammonia have been extensively explored in cultured fish, molluscs, and crustaceans, but have rarely been considered in turtle species. In this study, juveniles of the invasive...
Recent sequencing and software enhancements have advanced our understanding of the evolution of genomic structure and function, especially addressing novel evolutionary biology questions. Yet fragmentary turtle genome assemblies remain a challenge to...
The global degradation of wetlands is increasing their susceptibility to invasions, which is greatly determined by a niche overlap between native and invasive species. We analyze its role in regulating the coexistence of the native Mediterranean stri...
Red-eared slider turtles face natural changes in oxygen availability throughout the year. This includes long-term anoxic brumation where they reduce their metabolic rate by ~90% for months at a time, which they survive without apparent tissue damage....
Human disturbance impacts the breeding behavior of many species, and it is particularly important to understand how these human-caused changes affect vulnerable taxa, such as turtles. Habitat alteration can change the amount and quality of suitable n...
Animal personalities play a crucial role in invasion dynamics. During the invasion process, the behavioral strategies of native species vary among personalities, just as the invasive species exhibit variations in behavior strategies across personalit...
Trachemys scripta is a turtle species native to Central America. Since the 1950s, pond sliders have been imported worldwide as companion animals, but have often ended up in foreign ecosystems with great ecological consequences. Moreover, both autocht...
In order to use an integrated approach for studying the influence of risk factors on the distribution of the native turtle species E. orbicularis and accompanying invasive species (T. scripta and N. procyonoides) in the northeast of their range, we u...
Testudines, also known as living fossils, have evolved diversely and comprise many species that occupy a variety of ecological niches. However, the immune adaptation of testudines to the different ecological niches remains poorly understood. This stu...
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 subs...
Citizen science is emerging as a powerful tool for the early detection of biological invasions. The exotic pet trade has been deemed as the most significant cause of establishment for reptiles, and among them, turtles have the highest number of intro...
The presence of invasive alien species in Caribbean islands is symptomatic of deleterious human impacts on ecosystems. In Guadeloupe, three invasive freshwater turtles (Pelusios castaneus, Trachemys stejnegeri and T. scripta) have been introduce...
Globally, an increase in the transportation and expansion of the pet market is the most important cause of the invasion of non-native species. Invasion of non-native species disturbs native ecosystems and leads to socio-economic problems. The pet tra...
Predicting the willingness of people to engage in passive surveillance is crucial to the success of community-based efforts to manage invasive species and conserve native biodiversity. We draw on the marketing concept of involvement, which reflects t...
Metallothioneins play a key role in maintaining homeostasis of essential metalsand in protecting of cells against metal toxicity as well as oxidative damaging. Exceptinghumans, blood levels of metallothionein have not yet been reported from any anima...
Illegal wildlife trade is a major global driver of biodiversity loss, shaped by high consumer demand, transboundary networks, and uneven enforcement. In the Middle East, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, factors such as high pur...
The pond slider (Trachemys scripta) is native to the southeastern United States but has been introduced all around the world, including to the Canary Islands (Spain), along with other less-common exotic freshwater turtles such as Graptemys pseudogeog...
The popularity of exotic animals, including turtles, kept as pets, has grown steadily in recent decades. Limited awareness of the biological and ecological requirements of these species, combined with insufficient regulation in the pet trade, has con...
The spread of invasive species (IS) has the potential to upset ecosystem balances. In extreme cases, this can hinder economical utilization of both aquatic (fisheries) and terrestrial (agricultural) systems. As a result, many countries regard risk as...
Parasites are increasingly recognized as indicators of ecosystem condition, in part, because the relative complexity of their life cycles relies on ecosystem stability over time. Haemogregarine infections in freshwater turtles are rarely reported as...
Biological invasion is a major driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem disruption, with non-native aquatic species threatening ecological integrity and economic stability. The Qinling Mountains, located in central China, serve as a crucial barrier...