Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 881-883 (2018) (published online on 15 October 2018)
Holding the fort: a Mauremys rivulata population survives on Psara, a small Greek Aegean island
Panayiotis Pafilis1,*, Pantelis Saliaris1, and Panayiotis Chatzipanayiotis1
The Balkan terrapin, Mauremys rivulata (Fig. 1B). A M. rivulata hatchling was observed in (Valenciennes, 1833), has a wide distribution in the one of the ponds, and subsequently captured and Balkans and Middle East, comprising numerous photographed (Figs. 2A, 2B). This observation is of populations in many countries (���������������� particular importance as it provides evidence of recent Working Group�, 2017). In Greece, M. rivulata is reproduction. Two years later, Sideris and Duperault widespread throughout the mainland, but it is also (2003) confirmed this record and reported three living present on many islands (Valakos et al., 2008). To and two dead turtles. Since then, there has been no date, the species has been reported from 29 Aegean additional information regarding this population. Small, islands, but its presence on at least five of them (namely isolated Mauremys populations on Aegean islands have Amorgos, Symi, Syros, Sifnos, and Tilos) is considered declined over the last years and can become completely either dubious or extirpated because of recent extinctions extirpated (e.g., Broggi, 2000, 2006) as they are (Broggi, 2012), though it is able to recolonize suitable severely threatened by freshwater drainage and water habitats by means of overseas dispersal (Vamberger et scarcity (Broggi, 2012). On 17 April 2018, we revisited al., 2014). the ponds and found three individuals, either basking or Psara island belongs to the regional unit of Chios floating in the water (Fig. 3). island in the North Aegean Sea, Greece (Fig. 1A). The The existence and survival of this small population are island has an area of 40.1 km2, with its highest point rather surprising. As a dry island, Psara is not expected rising to an elevation of 512 m. Psara has an arid Mediterranean climate with annual rainfall of 615 mm (http://www.meteoblue.com). It is a rocky island and its vegetation consists of low shrubs and few trees, mainly Pinus halepensis and Olea europea. Psara hosts only one lizard species, Ophisops elegans, and there are no snakes (Lymberakis et al., 2008). On 20 March 2000, one of the authors (PS) found a system of a few small, shallow ponds at a location known as Xirokampos (38.5923°N, 25.5623°E), next to the small chapel of Zoödochos Pege, Ζωοδόχος Πηγή [life-giving spring] in Greek. The ponds are shaped by the rocky substrate and hold the water running down from a nearby mountain spring even during summer
1 Department of Zoology and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Figure 3. Submerged individual of Mauremys rivulata Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece. on Psara island, Greece, photographed on 17 April 2018. * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Photograph by Panayiotis Pafilis. 882 Panayiotis Pafilis et al.
Figure 1. (A) The two lower maps show the location of Psara island in the northeastern Aegean Sea, Greece. The red star in the upper map denotes the exact location of the pond where a population of Mauremys rivulata is located. (B) The small pond on rocky substrate with sparse aquatic vegetation where M. rivulata is found. Photograph by�Panayiotis Chatzipanayiotis�.
to bear any considerable freshwater habitat and thus the scarcity of freshwater, the Balkan terrapin does not island was excluded from the wide research done by occur on Aegean islands smaller than 50 km2 with only WWF Greece on Aegean wetlands (Catsadorakis and two exceptions, Gavdos (30 km2) and Skiathos (47 km2) Paragamian, 2007). Aegean populations of M. rivulata (Broggi, 2012). As such, the Psara population is quite are typically found in estuaries of streams and rivers peculiar in the sense that this small island (40.1 km2) (Broggi, 2012). However, these habitats receive strong harbours an inland population. pressures (e.g., seasonal drought, excessive pumping Until 20,000 years ago, Psara was connected to Chios for human activities such as tourism) and thus terrapins (Perissoratis and Conispoliatis, 2003). In a possible retreat to the middle and upper sections of streams on scenario, this is when M. rivulata could have reached the bigger islands. On the other hand, because of the the island and since then remained isolated. On the other
Figure 2. (A) Dorsal (carapace) and (B) ventral (plastron) views of a Mauremys rivulata hatchling found on Psara Island, Greece. Photographs by Pantelis Saliaris. Holding the fort: a Mauremys rivulata population survives on Psara, Greece 883 hand, M. rivulata may have drifted during episodic Perissoratis, C., Conispoliatis, N. (2003): The impact of sea-level floods and thus been able to colonize islands, including changes during latest Pleistocene and Holocene times on the Psara (Vamberger et al., 2014). Such isolated populations morphology of the Ionian and Aegean Seas (SE Alpine Europe). Marine Geology 196(3–4): 145–156. are considered relictual, though the possibility of a new Sideris, G., Duperault, A. (2003): New herpetofaunal records colonization remains open (Vamberger et al., 2014), and for Psara and neighboring islands, Aegean Sea, Greece. of special conservation interest (Broggi, 2012; Mantziou Herpetological Review 34(3): 266–269. and Rifai, 2014) while they face the most severe risks Turtle Taxonomy Working Group: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., (van Dijk et al., 2004). Specific measures should be Bour, R., Fritz, U., Georges, A., Shaffer, H.B., van Dijk, P.P. taken quickly for their effective conservation. (2017): Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. Eighth Edition. In: Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles References and Tortoises: a Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise Broggi, M.F. (2000): Herpetological notes on the islands of Milos and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Rhodin, A.G.J., and Sifnos (Cyclades, Greece). ���������� 13(1/2): 89–93. Iverson, J.B., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Broggi, M.F. (2006): Feuchtgebiete auf Skyros (Nördliche Sporaden- Pritchard, P.C.H., Mittermeier, R.A., Eds. Chelonian Research Griechenland) – ihre Beschreibung und einige ornithologische Monographs 7: 1–292. und herpetologische Inselbeobachtungen. Berichte der Valakos, E.D., Pafilis, P., Lymberakis, P., Maragou, P., Sotiropoulos, Botanisch-Zoologischen Gesellschaft Liechtenstein-Sargans- K., Foufopoulos, J. (2008): The Amphibians and Reptiles of Werdenberg 31: 269–274. Greece. Frankfurt, Germany, Edition Chimaira. Broggi, M.F. (2012): The Balkan Terrapin Mauremys rivulata Vamberger, M., Stuckas, H., Ayaz, D., Lymberakis, P., Siroky, P., (Valenciennes, 1833), in the Aegean islands. �������� Fritz, U. (2014): Massive transoceanic gene flow in a freshwater conservation aspects and the situation on the island of Kea turtle (Testudines: Geoemydidae: Mauremys rivulata). Zoologica (Cyclades) as a case study (Testudines: Geoemydidae). Scripta 43(4): 313–322. Herpetozoa 24(3/4): 149–163. van Dijk, P.P., Lymberakis, P., Mousa Disi, A.H., Ajtic, R., Tok, V., Catsadorakis, G., Paragamian, K. (2007): Inventory of the Wetlands Ugurtas, I., Sevinç, M., Haxhiu, I. (2004): Mauremys rivulata. of the Aegean Islands. Identity, Ecological Status and Threats. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004: e.T158470A5 Athens, Greece, World Wide Fund for Nature, p. 392. [in Greek 200041. Downloaded on 2 August 2018. with English abstract] Lymberakis, P., Pafilis, P., Poulakakis, N., Sotiropoulos, K., Valakos, E.D. (2018): The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Aegean Sea. In: Biogeography and Biodiversity of the Aegean. In honour of Prof. Moysis Mylonas. Sfenthourakis, S., Pafilis, P., Parmakelis, A., Poulakakis, N., Triantis, K.A., Eds. Broken Hill Publishers Ltd, Nicosia, Cyprus. Pp. 169–189. Mantziou, G., Rifai, L. (2014): Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes in Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1833) – Western Caspian Turtle, Balkan Terrapin. In: Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: a Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., Iverson, J.B., Mittermeier, R.A., Eds. Chelonian Research Monographs 5: 080.1–9.
Accepted by Idriss Bouam