Population size and structure of the African Softshell Turtle in southwestern Turkey

What is it about?

The African Softshell Turtle, Trionyx triunguis (Forskål, 1775) is a fresh and brackish water species distributed in lentic ecosystems of Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. It has also regularly been recorded in coastal waters. The ability to use the marine environment enables the species to colonise new areas and provides a mechanism for gene flow between the subpopulations in different watersheds. We assessed the size of the population of the African Softshell Turtle, Trionyx triunguis, in Dalaman (Muğla, Turkey), which is considered to be the largest population of the species in the Mediterranean, by using mark-recapture method. A total of 415 individuals were caught during the summer months of 2009 to 2011, of which 148 were recaptures. Our results showed that the species’ population size is larger than previously estimated based on visual counts. The status “Vulnerable” C2a of the IUCN Red Data Book categories seems therefore more appropriate for the Mediterranean subpopulation of Trionyx triunguis than “Endangered” C2a.

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Why is it important?

It was thought that the size of the Mediterranean population of African Softshell Turtle does not exceed some 1,000 adults and it was suggested to prepare an action plan for the conservation and management of the species in the Mediterranean, detailed population assessments as a basis for conservation measures have not been undertaken. Our findings showed that the species’ population size is larger than previously estimated based on visual counts. The status “Vulnerable” C2a of the IUCN Red Data Book categories seems therefore more appropriate for the Mediterranean subpopulation of Trionyx triunguis than “Endangered” C2a.

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