Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 147-152 (2018) (published online on 10 February 2018) New records, threats and conservation of Phrynops williamsi (Testudines: Chelidae) in Southern Brazil Tobias S. Kunz1,2, Ivo R. Ghizoni-Jr.1, Jorge J. Cherem1, Raissa F. Bressan1,2,*, Simone B. Leonardi2 and Juliana C. Zanotelli2 Abstract. We present new records of Phrynops williamsi in southern Brazil and field observations that point to at least three threats to the species in the Upper Uruguay River Basin. Our report provides for the first time direct observation of death and injuries as a consequence of falls from dams and walls of hydroelectric plants shortly after the reservoir formation, apparently as an attempt to abandon the artificial lakes; it also corroborates the species’ dependence on lotic environments, justifying the increasing concern with its conservation in southern Brazil. Keywords: Geographic distribution, freshwater turtle, hydroelectric dams, environmental licensing, Uruguay River Introduction quality. This is mainly due to the sequential formation of hydroelectric dams in the Iguaçu and Uruguay river Phrynops williamsi Rhodin and Mittermeier, 1983 basins, respectively; because it has disappeared from is a poorly known freshwater turtle that inhabits free areas of these basins which were flooded after the flowing rivers with rocky bottoms in southern Brazil, formation of hydroelectric reservoirs, apparently due Uruguay, north-eastern Argentina and south-eastern to the transformation of a lotic to a lentic environment. Paraguay (Turtle Taxonomy Working Group, 2014). As a contribution to the knowledge of distribution and Even though it has not been globally assessed for conservation status of P. williamsi, we present new the IUCN Red List, P. williamsi has been assessed as records and field observations of the species in southern Vulnerable in Argentina (Prado et al., 2012), Paraguay Brazil. (Motte et al., 2009) and in the Brazilian states of Paraná (Bérnils et al. 2004) and Santa Catarina (CONSEMA, Materials and Methods 2011). It was recently classified as Near Threatened in Uruguay (Carreira and Maneyro, 2015) and in the We compiled literature records for P. williamsi in Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul (FZB, 2014). In the State of Santa Catarina and field records obtained Brazil, on a national scale, the species was considered between 2005 and 2012, most of them during as Data Deficient (ICMBio, 2014). environmental studies and faunal monitoring for the In southern Brazil, its categorization as a vulnerable implementation of hydroelectric power plants located species in Paraná and Santa Catarina is based on in the Upper Uruguay River Basin (UURB), southern inferred reduction in population size due to declines Brazilian plateau, and records opportunistically obtained in area of occupancy, extent of occurrence and habitat at the Tubarão River Basin, southern coastal plain of Santa Catarina. Most of the records were obtained by visual searches from river margins or in boats. A small net of 10 m long and 1.8 m high composed by one mesh of 5 cm between 1 Caipora Cooperativa para a Conservação da Natureza, 88040- knots was used on only one occasion, during the 400, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil 2 Laboratório de Herpetologia, Departamento de Zoologia, environmental study for the Garibaldi Power Plant, on Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande the Canoas River, on January 2008. Collected specimens do Sul, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil were deposited in the herpetological collections of the * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto 148 Tobias S. Kunz et al. Figure 1. Records of Phrynops williamsi in the State of Santa Catarina (SC) and on the border of the State of Paraná (PR, North) and Rio Grande do Sul (RS, South), Southern Brazil. White circles represent literature records (Rhodin and Mittermeier, 1983; Cielusinsky et al., 2008; Kunz, 2012; Spier et al., 2014); black circles represent new records. Numbers correspond to localities described in Table 1. Alegre (UFRGS), Universidade Federal de Santa Chapecó River in the municipality of Coronel Freitas Catarina, Florianópolis (CHUFSC), and Universidade (point 3). Three of these eggs presented the following Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau (FURB). measurements: 30.4 x 26.6 mm, 30.2 x 26.4 mm and Results We obtained 10 new distribution records of P. williamsi for the State of Santa Catarina, two of them located at Table 1. Summary of the new records of Phrynops williamsi the border with the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Fig. 1; in southern Brazil, states of Santa Catarina (SC) and Rio Table 1). Of those, nine are for the UURB and one is Grande do Sul (RS). Locality numbers correspond to those in for the Tubarão River basin (point 13 of the map). We 1 FigureTable 1. 1.Summary of the new records of Phrynops williamsi in southern Brazil, states of Santa Catarina (SC) 2 and Rio Grande do Sul (RS). Locality numbers correspond to those in also obtained new records for three localities (points 2, 3 4 6-7) presented in Kunz (2012). Most of the records were River/Locality Altitude (m) Coordinates Chapecó River obtained by sightings of individuals basking on rocks 1. Passos Maia (SC) 1000 26.7130°S, 51.9069°W exposed in the middle of the river, near river rapids. 2. Ipuaçu/São Domingos (SC) 470 26.6558°S, 52.5555°W All sightings were on lotic environments, previously 3. Coronel Freitas (SC) 340 26.8708°S, 52.7258°W Uruguay River to the damming, or in remaining lotic stretches up or 4. São Carlos (SC)/Alpestre (RS) 230 27.1466°S, 53.0463°W downstream the artificial lakes. One juvenile (CHUFSC 5. Chapecó (SC)/Erval Grande (RS) 245 27.2472°S, 52.5877°W 946) was caught by net at point 12 (now, the lake of the Irani River 6. Xanxerê/Xavantina (SC) 495 26.9527°S, 52.3372°W Garibaldi dam) and one adult individual with fractured 7. Xaxim/Arvoredo (SC) 330 27.0555°S, 52.4711°W carapace (Fig. 2F) was caught in fishing net in front 8. Paial/Chapecó (SC) 285 27.1830°S, 52.5244°W of (downstream) the Plano Alto dam (point 6) by the Peixe River 9. Tangará (SC) 590 27.1050°S, 51.2802°W ichthyologist of the faunal monitoring team. Two dead Marombas River individuals caught in nets (CHUFSC 1166, 1239; not 10. Frei Rogério/Curitibanos (SC) 815 27.1827°S, 50.6702°W sexed) were obtained from local fisherman at point 5 Canoas River 11. Vargem/São José do Cerrito (SC) 715 27.4958°S, 50.8038°W (now, the lake of Foz do Chapecó dam). Also, a female 12. Cerro Negro/Abdon Batista (SC) 657 27.6302°S, 50.9741°W with nine eggs (Fig. 2A) was found hit by a vehicle Pequeno River on an unpaved road on December 12th, 2008, near the 13. Grão Pará (SC) 80 28.2180°S, 49.1950°W 1 New records, threats and conservation of Phrynops williamsi in Brazil 149 Figure 2. Phrynops williamsi in the Upper Uruguay River basin. (A) Gravid female run-over at point 3 (see Figure 1, Table 1); (B) Adult male found headless in a fishing ranch near point 3; (C) Adult female dead after falling from a cliff at the Foz do Chapecó dam (point 4); (D-E) Specimens with fractured carapaces (indicated by arrows) observed in front of the Arvoredo dam (point 7); (F) Specimen with fractured carapace captured in front of the Plano Alto dam (point 6), Irani River. 28.5 x 26.4 mm. The record at Passos Maia dam (point Discussion 1) is the highest altitude recorded for the species (1000 Despite being frequently observed on river rapids - m a.s.l.). where on one occasion it was possible to count more than 30 individuals at the same time basking on rocks 150 Tobias S. Kunz et al. (points 9 and 12) - observations made during faunal main food item of this species in the Iguaçu River basin monitoring and faunal rescue during the filling of (Cielusinsky et al., 2008), as these crustaceans are also the reservoirs suggest that individuals tend to move associated to rivers and streams of increased water flow downstream after the reservoir is completely full, (Noro and Buckup, 2003). apparently avoiding the new lentic environment The UURB is considered a Freshwater Ecoregion and eventually fall from the dam or its lateral walls, of the World (Abell et al., 2008) and, together with severely injuring their carapaces, sometimes fatally. the Parana and Paraguay rivers, it forms the La Plata This behaviour was reported by employees of the River basin, which is considered one of the ten most Arvoredo dam (point 7), where we observed individuals endangered river basins in the world, with the second with carapace injuries just in front of (downstream) largest number of hydroelectric dams planned (Wong et the dam (Fig. 2D-E). At the Foz do Chapecó dam, al., 2007). The Uruguay River is sequentially dammed after the reservoir filled, turtles entered the water along the Santa Catarina - Rio Grande do Sul border catchment tunnel and emerged at the standpipe, where by the Machadinho, Itá and Foz do Chapecó dams (the there is a small reservoir (point 4). From this point last one alone impounded more than 100 km of the they followed a rock wall about five meters high next river). There are two large dams just upstream of the to the road that accesses the powerhouse; employees confluence of the Canoas and Pelotas rivers (Campos reported that several individuals fell from this site. At Novos and Barra Grande dams, respectively), the main least two individuals died after falling (adult female, tributaries of the Uruguay River.