Herpetology Notes, volume 4: 219-224 (2011) (published online on 27 May 2011)

New locality records for chelonians

Bruno O. Ferronato1*, Flavio B. Molina2,3, Freddy C. Molina1, Renato A. Espinosa1 and Victor R. Morales1

Few surveys focusing on chelonians have been identified and sexed according to their morphological
conducted in Peru (Fachín-Teran, 1993), and therefore characteristics, following Pritchard and Trebbau (1984)
little information regarding geographic records is and Rueda-Almonacid et al. (2007). We checked the
available (Morales and McDiarmid, 1996; INRENA, distributional records of each species in the literature and
2009). Puerto Bermúdez District is a region in central in electronic databases of museum collections (National
Peru composed of lowland Amazon forest and a wide Museum of Natural History-Smithsonian and World
variety of fauna, although deforestation and overhunting Turtle Database) and we built maps of distribution of
are common practices in the area (Gaviria, 1981). each species within the Amazon basin. Capture methods
Chelonians are eaten by local people, and also sold in and locality data details are depicted in each species
local markets (Gaviria, 1981), but little is known about account.
the species of turtles that occur in the area. In this work,
we present new locality records of chelonians from Chelonoidis denticulata (Testudines: Testudinidae)
Departamento de Pasco along with distribution maps
We report additional locality records of C. denticulata
for these species occurring in the Peruvian Amazon
in Departamento de Pasco based on individuals from
basin.
SJAC and SRCC. One live adult female and three
Fieldwork was conducted by BOF, FCM, and RAE from
carapaces of adult C. denticulata were recorded in SJAC
February to December 2009 in two Asháninkas native
in August 2009. The female tortoise was found along
communities, Santa Rosa de Chivis community (SRCC)
the Azupizu River (10°21’59.24”S, 74°54’10.95”W,
(10°20’06.5”S, 74°59’15.5”W, 264 m elevation) and San
247 m elevation) and the carapaces were obtained in
José de Azupizu community (SJAC) (10°23’17.57”S,
native houses (10°23’17.57”S, 74°54’26.55”W, 260 m
74°54’26.55”W, 260 m elevation). These border
elevation). In SRCC we captured one juvenile tortoise
communities are located in Puerto Bermúdez District,
(Figure 1G) in a forested area close to the community
Oxapampa Province, Departamento de Pasco, Peru, and
(10°20’30.61”S, 74°59’09.85”W, 263 m elevation) on
they are in the buffer zone of the Natural Protected Area
16 August 2009, and we recorded a carapace of an adult
“Bosque de Protección San Matías – San Carlos”. The
specimen in a native house in July 2009. Our record in
captured turtles were measured with caliper (straight-
SJAC is located approximately 50.7 km (airline) south
line carapace length, to the nearest 0.1 mm), were
of the previous record of the species in Puerto Amistad,
photographed and subsequently released. Species were
Puerto Bermúdez District (Lehr, 2002) (Figure 2),
expanding its distribution in Departamento de Pasco.
Measurements: straight-line carapace length of tortoises
1 Universidad Ricardo Palma, Facultad de Ciencias Bioló- from SJAC and SRCC were 30.7, 28.6, 28.6, 28.4, 26.2,
gicas, Museo de Historia Natural. Ap. Postal 18-01, Av. and 16.0 cm.
Benavides 5440, Las Gardenias, Surco, Lima, Peru;
email: [email protected] Mesoclemmys gibba (Testudines: Chelidae)
2 Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Av.
Nazaré, 481, Ipiranga, CEP 04263-000 São Paulo, São Paulo, We report the first record of M. gibba from
Brazil; Departamento de Pasco based on a male (Figure 1A,
3 Universidade de Santo Amaro, Rua Prof. Enéas de Siqueira 1B), and three juveniles captured with fishing and
Neto, 340, Jardim das Imbuias, CEP 04829-300, São Paulo,
trammel nets in SRCC in an oxbow lake (10°20’06.5”S,
São Paulo, Brazil.
74°59’15.5”W, 264 m elevation) on 15 September 2009
* Corresponding author.
220 Bruno O. Ferronato et al.

Figure 1. Mesoclemmys gibba (A, B), Phrynops geoffroanus (C, D), Podocnemis unifilis (E, F) and Chelonoidis denticulata (G)
registered in Santa Rosa de Chivis and San José de Azupizu communities, Puerto Bermúdez District, Departamento de Pasco,
Peru.

and 27 October 2009, and based on two hand-captured 22 July 2009 at SJAC (10°23’16”S, 74°54’38.2”W,
hatchlings, one found in a shallow forest stream on 263 m elevation), and another found on a road close
New locality records for chelonians from Peru 221

Figure 2. Distribution of Chelonoidis denticulata in Central Peru. 1a: San José de Azupizu community, Puerto Bermúdez District
(present study); 1b: Azupizu River, San José de Azupizu community, Puerto Bermúdez District (present study); 2: Santa Rosa
de Chivis community, Puerto Bermúdez District (present study); 3: Puerto Amistad, Puerto Bermúdez District (Lehr, 2002); 4:
Bolognesi (Lehr, 2002); 5: Milagros (Lehr, 2002); 6: Panguana Biological Station (Schlüter, Icochea and Perez, 2004).

Figure 3. Distribution of Mesoclemmys gibba in Peru. 1: Santa Rosa de Chivis community (present study); 2: Panguana Biologi-
cal Station (Schlüter, Icochea and Perez, 2004); 3: Bolognesi (Lehr, 2002); 4: Yarinacocha (Emysystem, 2010b); 5: Momón River
(Dixon and Soini, 1986); 6: Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (Soini, 1996); 7: Zona Reservada Allpahuayo-Mishana (Moravec,
Tuanama and Mármol, 2001); 8: La Poza (USNM, 2010d); 9: Pakitza, Manu National Park Reserve Zone (Morales and McDi-
armid, 1996); 10: Tambopata (Doan and Arriaga, 2002); 11: Cuzco Amazonico Reserve (Duellman and Sallas, 1991); 12: Los
Amigos River (von May et al., 2006); 13: Zona Reservada Alto Purús (Rodriguez, 2003).
222 Bruno O. Ferronato et al.

Figure 4. Distribution of Phrynops geoffroanus in Peru. 1: San José de Azupizu community (present study); 2: Santa Rosa de
Chivis community (present study); 3: Panguana Biological Station (Schlüter, Icochea and Perez, 2004); 4: Pakitza, Manu National
Park Reserve Zone (Morales and McDiarmid, 1996); 5: Perene River (USNM, 2010b); 6: Tambopata Reserve (USNM, 2010c);
7: Puerto Mayro (Emysystem, 2010c).

Figure 5. Distribution of Podocnemis unifilis in Peru. 1: San José de Azupizu community (present study); 2: Santa Rosa de Chivis
community (present study); 3: Panguana Biological Station (Schlüter, Icochea and Perez, 2004); 4: Pacaya-Samiria National Re-
serve (Fachín-Teran, Chumbe and Taleixo, 1996; Soini, 1996, 1999); 5: Mishana River (Dixon and Soini, 1986); 6: Pacaya River
(Fachín-Teran, 1994); 7: Vicinity of Iquitos (Iverson, 1986, 1992; Fachín-Teran, Acosta and Vílchez, 1992); 8: Los Amigos River
(von May et al., 2006); 9: Pastaza River (Escobedo et al., 2006); 10: Pakitza, Manu National Park Reserve Zone (Morales and
McDiarmid, 1996); 11: Cuzco Amazonico Reserve (Duellman and Sallas, 1991); 12: Tambopata Reserve (USNM, 2010a); 13:
Zona Reservada Alto Purús (Iverson, 1992; Rodriguez, 2003); 14: Zona Reservada Sierra del Divisor (Souza and Rivera, 2006);
15: Buffer zone of Cordillera Azul National Park (Martinez, 2006); 16: Zona Reservada Güeppí (Yánez-Muñoz and Venegas,
2008); 17: Comunidad Nativa Matsés (Gordo, Knell and Rivera, 2006); 18: Yavarí (Rodriguez and Knell, 2003); 19: Campamento
Yaguas (Rodriguez and Knell, 2004); 20: Cocha Cashu, Manu National Park (Rodriguez and Cadle, 1990); 21: Pucallpa (Emysys-
tem, 2010a); 22: Contamana (Emysystem, 2010a); 23: Yurimaguas (Emysystem, 2010a).
New locality records for chelonians from Peru 223

to a shallow lagoon on 11 February 2009 at SRCC this document does not provide locality data and/or
(10°20’06.5”S, 74°59’15.5”W, 264 m elevation). SRCC voucher specimens, presenting the result as a reptile
record (oxbow lake) is about 84 km (airline) south of the species checklist for the entire area. Our investigation
record for Panguana Biological Station in Departamento reports P. unifilis with precise locality data in Pasco.
de Huánuco (Schlüter, Icochea and Perez, 2004) (Figure Few studies on chelonians natural history aspects
3). Measurements: straight-line carapace length of have been conducted in Departamento de Pasco and
turtles from SRCC and SJAC were 18.6, 13.3, 12.5, these new records help in understanding the patterns
11.7, 6.3, and 5.3 cm. of turtle species distribution in Peru. Three freshwater
turtle species (M. gibba, P. geoffroanus and P. unifilis)
Phrynops geoffroanus (Testudines: Chelidae) recorded here can coexist in oxbow lakes, and the
current practice of dynamite fishing by locals in such
The present data represent the first record of P. habitats could represent a threat to these aquatic species
geoffroanus from Puerto Bermudez District and an in this region.
additional record from Departamento de Pasco based
on one hatchling and one juvenile P. geoffroanus hand- Acknowledgments. We thank the native communities Santa
captured in SJAC (10°23’05.14”S, 74°54’49.69”W, 267 Rosa de Chivis and San José de Azupizu. The Amazon Turtles
m elevation) on a river beach and in a forest stream, Ecology Project was funded by Rufford Small Grant Foundation,
respectively, on 08 September 2009 and 02 October and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Cleveland Zoological Society
2009, and based on one hatchling (hand-captured) and Foundation grants. We thank the Peruvian NGO Canprodem and
the Natural History Museum of Ricardo Palma University for
ten juveniles (Figure 1C, 1D) captured with fishing
their logistic support. R.C. Vogt kindly confirmed the species
nets and basking traps in SRCC (10°20’43.15”S, identification at the beginning of the project and J.L. Carr gently
74°59’02.13”W, 256 m elevation) in an oxbow lake, revised the first version of this manuscript. We would like to
from July to November 2009. SRCC record is located thank T.S. Marques, E. Lehr, R. von May, C. Aguilar, J. Icochea,
approximately 65 km (airline) south of the previous J. Martinez, A. Tobar, C. Veliz, P. Pritchard, O. Flores, S. Vinke,
record in Puerto Mayro, Palcazu District, Departamento F.L. Souza, J. Bertoluci, S. Métrailler and A. Schlüter for providing
de Pasco (Emysystem, 2010c) (Figure 4). Measurements: information and bibliography. The electronic database of the
mean straight-line carapace length of turtles (± SD, National Museum of Natural History-Smithsonian and World Turtle
Database were accessed for information on species distribution. M.
Min., Max., N) from SJAC and SRCC was 12.43 cm (±
Valladares and F. Canchanya kindly designed the maps. Turtles
4.34, Min. = 4.03, Max. = 18.5, N = 13).
were captured under Ministerio de Agricultura Scientist Collection
Permit (nº.0057-2009-ag-dgffs-dgeffs).
Podocnemis unifilis (Testudines: Podocnemididae)
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Accepted by Zoltán T. Nagy