New Distributional Records of Testudo Marginata Schoepff, 1793 in Southern Italy

Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 977-979 (2020) (published online on 26 November 2020)

New distributional records of Testudo marginata Schoepff, 1793 in southern Italy

Francesco Luigi Leonetti1, Gianni Giglio1, Sandro Tripepi1, and Emilio Sperone1,*

The Palearctic genus Testudo Linnaeus, 1758 occurs in Europe with three species: T. graeca, T. hermanni, T. marginata (Speybroeck et al., 2020). These species also occur in the Italian peninsula, where only T. hermanni is considered autochthonous (Corti et al., 2011). The marginated tortoise T. marginata Schoepff, 1793 inhabits garrigue and Mediterranean maquis habitats consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs (like Pistacia lentiscus, Cystus spp., Erica arborea, Ampelodesmos mauritanicus) but also a range of other habitats, from coastal dunes to olive groves and small-scale agricultural landscapes. Its distribution range includes southern Albania, Greece and Italy. It is considered as a naturalised species in the Italian peninsula and occurs with stable populations only in Sardinia, especially in the north and north-eastern part of the island (Carpaneto, 2006; Carpaneto et al., 2010; Corti et al., 2007, 2013; Bassu et al., 2008), where the introduction dates back to ancient time (Fritz et al., 2005). Its presence is also reported for some nearby islands like Molara, San Pietro, Tavolara, Budelli, Santa Maria, La Maddalena, Caprera (Poggesi et al., 1995). As for the Italian peninsula, only sporadic reports relating to isolated individuals are known in Tuscany, Latium, Marches, Molise and Campania (Corti et al., 2011; iNaturalist, 2020). The presence of T. marginata in Calabria (southern Italy) was confirmed only around Cosenza, in three sites located in the Catena Costiera Massif and in the Crati Valley (Sperone et al., 2010). Herein, we present two new distributional records of T. marginata: one on the western coast of Sardinia and one in the southern part of the peninsula (Calabria). Both records (Fig. 1) were collected during opportunistic

1 Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), Italy. Figure 2. Specimens of T. marginata from Calabria (a) and * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Sardinia (b); maquis habitat in Sardinia (c). 978 Francesco Luigi Leonetti et al.

Figure 1. New distributional records of T. marginata in Sardinia (green) and Calabria (blue). The known distribution range is reported in dark yellow (Sperone et al., 2010; Corti et al., 2013). The new sightings reported here (red dots) are located in the provinces of Oristano (OR, Sardinia) and Crotone (KR, Calabria).

encounters in Mediterranean maquis habitats (Fig. 2c), from the new site reported in this note). Concerning on 22 September 2018 and 14 September 2019. The Calabria, the new record brings the number of reported tortoises were photographed (Fig. 2a, b) and, at the same occurrences in the region to four. Moreover, it represents time, the data reported in Table 1 were collected. the first record for the province of Crotone, about 90 Concerning Sardinia, Oristano, our sighting raises the km away from the known records. Our finding suggests number of records reported for this province to three. that the distribution of T. marginata could be wider than Corti et al. (2013) reported an encounter from around previously suspected, especially in the southern region Bosa (about 50 km away from our sighting) and one of the peninsula, probably due to translocation events. around the peninsula of Sinis (about 10 km away Loss and alteration of habitats are the main threats

Table 1. New records of T. marginata in Southern Italy. Table 1. New records of T. marginata in Southern Italy.

Region Locality (Province) Coordinates Elevation Date Sex Calabria Roccabernarda (KR) 39.1000°N 220 m a.s.l. 22.09.2018 / 16.9000°E Sardinia Cabras (OR) 39.9000°N 11 m a.s.l. 14.09.2019 F 8.4000°E

New distributional records of Testudo marginata in southern Italy 979 to tortoises in Italy, especially as a consequence of Corti, C., Bassu, L., Fresi, C., Nulchis, V., Satta, M.G., Spano, G. urbanisation and intensification of agricultural practices (2007): Distribution of Testudo in Sardinia (Italy). Is one species th (Biaggini et al., 2018). In addition, illegal collection of more “important” than other one? 14 European Congress of Herpetology of SEH, Porto (Portugal), 19-23 September 2007, individuals linked to pet trade is another serious threat Abstract Book, pp. 62. to these reptiles. A better knowledge of distribution, Corti, C., Capula, M., Luiselli, L., Sindaco, R., Razzetti, E. (2011): ecology and biology of tortoises represents a key-point Fauna d’Italia, vol. XLV. Reptilia, Calderini, Bologna, XII. for conservation purposes. T. marginata has a restricted Fritz, U., Syroky, P., Kami, H.G., Wink, M. 2005: Environmental range in Italy and is classified as Near Threatened at caused dwarfism or a valid species - Is Testudo weissingeri national level (Rondinini et al., 2013). Although the Bour, 1996 a distinct evolutionary lineage? New evidence new distributional records presented here are close to from mitochondrial and nuclear genomic markers. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37: 389–401. other areas where the presence of this species has been iNaturalist (2020): Testudo marginata. Available from https:// ascertained by other observers (Sperone et al., 2010; www.inaturalist.org/taxa/40038-Testudo-marginata. Accessed Corti et al., 2013), there is still insufficient data to argue on 2 October 2020. that stable populations exist in these areas. To this end, Poggesi, M., Agnelli, P., Borri, M., Corti, C., Finotello, P.L., Lanza, we believe that citizen science could be a useful tool B., Tosini, G. (1996): Erpetologia delle isole circumsarde. to help increase knowledge of animals that are docile Biogeographia 18: 583–618. and easily recognisable, such as tortoises. We hope that Rondinini, C., Battistoni, A., Peronace, V., Teofili, C. (2013): Lista Rossa IUCN dei Vertebrati Italiani. Comitato Italiano IUCN e our insights will be useful for future research aimed Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, at detailing the distribution of the species in southern Roma. Italy and Sardinia. We suggest that this island could Sperone, E., Crescente, A., Brunelli, E., Paolillo, G., Tripepi, S. be considered a potentially important reservoir for (2010): Sightings and successful reproduction of allochthonous Mediterranean tortoises (Biaggini et al., 2018) and that reptiles in Calabria 2010. Acta Herpetologica 5 (2): 265–273. “... all Sardinian tortoises serve as a back -up for the Speybroeck, J., Beukema, W., Dufresnes, C., Fritz, U., Jablonski, mainland populations ... “ (Vamberger et al., 2011). D., Lymberakis, P., et al. (2020): Species list of the European herpetofauna–2020 update by the Taxonomic Committee of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica. Amphibia-Reptilia 41: Acknowledgments. Authors are very grateful to Salvatore 139–189. Coricelli for the photographic record of the specimen from Vamberger, M., Corti, C., Stuckas, H., Fritz, U. (2011): Is the Calabria, and to Matteo Tauriello for useful help in Sardinia. imperilled spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) native in Sardinia? Implications from population genetics and for References conservation. Amphibia-Reptilia 32: 9–25. Bassu, L., Nulchis, V., Satta, M.G., Fresi, C., Corti, C. (2008): Atlas of amphibians and reptiles of Sardinia – state of the art and general considerations (p. 52–58). In: Herpetologia Sardiniae. Corti, C., Ed., Edizioni Belvedere, (collana “Le Scienze” 8), Latina. Biaggini, M., Romano, A., Di Tizio, L., Corti, C. (2018): Density and sex-ratio of wild populations of three Testudo species in Italy. Herpetozoa, 30 (3/4): 203–208. Carpaneto, G.M. (2006): Testudo marginata Schoepff, 1972. In: Atlante degli Anfibi e dei Rettili d’Italia / Atlas of Italian Amphibians and Reptiles, p. 396–399. Sindaco, R., Doria, G., Razzetti, E., Bernini, F., Eds, Societas Herpetolgica Italica/ Edizioni Polistampa, Firenze. Carpaneto, G.M., Corti, C. (2010): Testudo graeca Linnaeus, 1758. In: Fauna d’Italia. Reptilia, p. 180–187. Corti, C., Capula, M., Luiselli, L., Razzetti, E., Sindaco, R., Eds, Edizioni Calderini de Il Sole 24 Ore Editoria Specializzata S.r.l., Bologna. Corti, C., Bassu, L., Biaggini, M., Bressi, N., Capula, M., Di Cerbo, A.R., et al. (2013): Aggiornamento sulla distribuzione italiana delle testuggini terrestri appartenenti al genere Testudo. Atti II Congresso Societas Herpetologica Italica Sezione Abruzzo- Molise Testuggini e Tartarughe (Chieti, 27-29 settembre 2013). Accepted by Florina Stanescu Ianieri Edizioni, Pescara: 153–170.