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The injuries on tortoise shells as a depository of past human impact

Abstract:

The spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca has a wide distribution encompassing southern Europe and the Middle East through to northern Africa. The populations at the northern limit of T. graeca's range in the province of Dobrogea (Romania) are sparsely distributed across the entire area, with higher densities found in the hilly forested areas. Although strictly protected, the spur-thighed tortoise was and continues to be impacted by human activities. This study investigated the presence and characteristics of scars from past injuries on their shells. We studied three populations from protected areas, situated along a north-south gradient of approximately 150 km: Mǎcin Mountains National Park (northernmost limit of T. graeca's range), Cetatea Histria, located within the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, in the central part of the region, and the Dumbrǎveni Forest Natural Reserve in the south. All three populations had individuals with scars from past injuries on their shells. The highest numbers of injured tortoises were in Dumbrǎveni Forest (35.78%) and Mǎcin Mountains (35%) while the population from Cetatea Histria (11.26%) was less affected. Carapace injury frequency was higher in the Mǎcin Mountains whilst the Dumbrǎveni Forest population had a higher frequency of plastron injuries. Human-caused injuries were observed mainly in the anterior and dorsal zones of the carapace and the anterior zone of the plastron. Natural injuries were located on the posterior zone of the carapace, mainly on marginal scutes. Our study showed that the scars of turtle shells proved to be an excellent depository of past and recent human impacts and may offer insights for better conservation and management strategies. © 2014 © 2014 Unione Zoologica Italiana.