BIOMETRIC EVALUATION OF FRESHWATER TURTLES IN LOS RÍOS REGION IN SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO

Resumen

In the state of Tabasco, there are nine species of freshwater turtles, all of which have a conservation status under NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010. An alternative for the recovery of these populations is management for their conservation. This study characterized freshwater turtles in captivity at División Académica Multidisciplinaria de los Ríos (DAMR), in the municipality of Tenosique de Pino Suárez, Tabasco, Mexico, as part of the evaluation of their potential for reproduction and management within a Management Unit for Wildlife Conservation (UMA). The species under study were the Mesoamerican slider (Trachemys venusta), the furrowed wood turtle (Rhinoclemmys areolata), and the Tabasco mud turtle (Kinosternon leucostomum). Body measurements were taken, and physical characteristics were evaluated using a pre-established form. The turtles were marked using an adaptation of the Cagle (1939) method. A total of 113 individuals were analyzed: 76 furrowed wood turtles, 32 sliders, and five Tabasco mud turtles, with densities of 0.751, 0.316, and 0.049 individuals per m2, respectively. The sliders presented a shell length-weight (SL-P) ratio of P = 0.1935SL2.8195 and a female-to-male sex ratio of 1:1.8. The Mesoamerican sliders displayed a SL-P ratio of P = 0.1325SL2.9222 and a sex ratio of 1.2:1. The Tabasco mud turtle presented a ratio of P = 0.5159SL2.3777 and a sex ratio of 4:1. The prevalence of physical conditions was evaluated for each species and for the total number of turtles, where 42 % (n = 47) presented a good condition and 58 % (n = 66) displayed irregular physical characteristics. In the latter, the highest percentage of findings corresponded to erosion of the shell and plastron, while the least observed were malformation of the mouth and loss of eyes. Data analysis suggests that conditions are suitable for species conservation and for completing the necessary procedures to establish a UMA in the future.