Morphometric measurements of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)(L., 1758) in Lithuania

In Lithuania, the number of European pond turtles Emys orbicularis decreased between 1975 and 2010, but increased significantly between 2010 and 2014, when the LIFE project was implemented. During this project, an ecological network was created, habitats were restored in protected areas, and European pond turtle nesting areas were protected from predators. Very few morphometric measurements of European pond turtles are carried out in Lithuania. The purpose of this study was to perform morphometric measurements, assess migration, spread, and morphometric size variation. Morphometric measurements of juvenile European pond turtles showed that the morphometric indicators depended on the place of habitation: males from Juodabalė Zoological Reserve (Meteliai Regional Park) are smaller than females. Also, female turtles from Meteliai Regional Park are larger than both males and females from Kučiuliškė Herpetological Reserve. When comparing the morphometric indicators of males and females at ten months of age, sexual dimorphism is already observed: the shell height, the width of the head, carapace, and plastron of a females are already bigger than those of males.

[1]  M. Uhrin,et al.  Variation in shell morphology of the European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis, in fragmented central European populations , 2020 .

[2]  A. Béchet,et al.  Population Structure and Morphometrics of the European Pond Turtle ( Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758)) at Lake Tonga, Algeria , 2017 .

[3]  R. Sacchi,et al.  Stable or plastic body shape? Emys orbicularis hatchlings-juveniles growth patterns under different ecological conditions , 2017 .

[4]  Vytautas Rakauskas,et al.  Predator-prey interactions between a recent invader, the Chinese sleeper ( Perccottus glenii ) and the European pond turtle ( Emys orbicularis ): a case study from Lithuania , 2016 .

[5]  M. Ruzauskas,et al.  Gut microbiota isolated from the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) and its antimicrobial resistance. , 2016, Polish journal of veterinary sciences.

[6]  T. Grzybowski,et al.  Distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes (cytb) in Polish populations of Emys orbicularis (L., 1758) , 2011, Biologia.

[7]  M. Wink,et al.  Mitochondrial diversity of European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) in Anatolia and the Ponto-Caspian Region: Multiple old refuges, hotspot of extant diversification and critically endangered endemics , 2009 .

[8]  U. Fritz,et al.  Holocene recolonization and extinction of the pond turtle, Emys orbicularis (L., 1758), in Europe , 2007 .

[9]  E. Szuszkiewicz,et al.  The morphometrics and colouration of the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis in Lubuskie province (West Poland) , 2006, Biologia.

[10]  A. C. Rivera.  A management plan for the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) populations of the Louro river basin (Northwest Spain) , 2004 .

[11]  U. Joger,et al.  Mitochondrial phylogeography of the European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758) , 1999, Molecular ecology.

[12]  F. Odetti,et al.  Body size and clutch size in the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) from central Italy , 1999 .