Short Communication Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2016 | 8(11): 9322–9326 New distribution records of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei (Testudines: Chelidae) from southeastern Brazil, including observations on reproduction ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Fábio Mafei 1, Bruno Tayar Marinho do Nascimento 2, Guilherme Marson Moya 3 & Reginaldo José Donatelli 4 OPEN ACCESS 1,3,4 Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Faculdade de Ciências, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Avenida Engenheiro Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, CEP 17033-360, Bauru, SP, Brazil. 3 Insituto Pró-Terra, Rua Nicolau Piragine, 253, Chácara Bela Vista, CEP 17209070 Jaú, SP, Brazil. 1 mafei.fabio@gmail.com (corresponding author), 2 tayarbio@gmail.com, 3 guimmoya@hotmail.com, 4 rjdonat@fc.unesp.br Abstract: Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei is a poorly known freshwater turtle widely distributed in central South America, where it occurs in Argenina, Paraguay, Brazil, and probably Bolivia. It is considered “Near Threatened” by the IUCN Red List and “Data Deicient” by other local lists. Herein, we present new records and data on the reproducive biology of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei in southeastern Brazil. Keywords: Cerrado, chelonians, repiles, South America. Brazil has a great diversity of chelonians, including ive species of sea turtles, 29 species of freshwater turtles and two species of terrestrial tortoises (Costa & Bérnils 2015). Chelidae is the richest family in species with 20 representaives of seven genera (Acanthochelys, Chelus, Hydromedusa, Mesoclemmys, Phrynops, Platemys and Rhinemys; Costa & Bérnils 2015). Among the eight species in the Mesoclemmys genus, M. vanderhaegei (Toad-headed Turtle) is a medium-sized freshwater turtle, which has a carapace length of approximately 250mm and inhabits shallow water bodies with dense aquaic vegetaion (Marques et al. 2014). It is a poorly known freshwater turtle widely distributed in central South America, where it occurs in the Amazon, Tocanins, Paraguay, Paraná, and Uruguay River basins in associaion with open formaions (Souza 2005) in the countries of Argenina, Paraguay, Brazil, and probably Bolivia (Marques et al. 2014). In Brazil, this species has been recorded in the states of Tocanins, Goiás, Distrito Federal, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais and São Paulo, inhabiing Cerrado areas, but there is only one record in the Atlanic Rainforest area in the state of São Paulo (Bour & Pauler 1987). Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei is considered “Near Threatened” by the IUCN Red List (Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996). In the List of Brazilian Fauna Threatened with Exincion, this species was already classiied as “Data Deicient” (Machado et al. 2005), but is now categorized as “Least Concern” (Vogt et al. 2015). The same category is presented in the List of Fauna Species of Minas Gerais State, in which this species was evaluated as “Data Deicient” in 2007 (Biodiversitas 2007), but is currently not listed. This species is also present in the List of Endangered Fauna of São Paulo State in the category of “Data Deicient” (São Paulo 2014), while in Paraguay it is considered DOI: htp://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jot.2643.8.11.9322-9326 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C87AEA20-9175-448E-A6AE-2DDBC1BADAB1 Editor: Anonymity requested. Date of publicaion: 26 September 2016 (online & print) Manuscript details: Ms # 2643 | Received 24 March 2016 | Final received 08 September 2016 | Finally accepted 10 September 2016 Citaion: Mafei, F., B.T.M. do Nascimento, G.M. Moya & R.J. Donatelli (2016). New distribuion records of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei (Testudines: Chelidae) from southeastern Brazil, including observaions on reproducion. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(11): 9322–9326; htp://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jot.2643.8.11.9322-9326 Copyright: © Mafei et al. 2016. Creaive Commons Atribuion 4.0 Internaional License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this aricle in any medium, reproducion and distribuion by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publicaion. Funding: Duratex S.A. and FUNDIBIO. Conlict of Interest: The authors declare no compeing interests. Acknowledgements: Thanks to Duratex and Fundibio by the inance of the study in Estrela do Sul, Insituto Florestal de São Paulo for permission to research in Águas de Santa Barbara, Decio Tadeu for helping in ield work, Virginia Bernardes and Chrisine Strussmann for the available literature, Fernanda Magno for English translaion, and Flávio K. Ubaid for map. LOGOs 9322 Mafei et al. New records of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei from southeastern Brazil “Insuiciently Known” (Prado et al. 2012). Despite its wide occurrence, there are few known records of M. vanderhaegei in southeastern Brazil (Bour & Pauler 1987; Souza et al. 2000; Silveira et al. 2009; Marques et al. 2013; Mendonça et al. 2013) and studies are needed on the geographical distribuion and populaion dynamics of this species (Vogt et al. 2015). In this context, we present new records and addiional data on the reproducive biology of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei. Materials and Methods An inventory of the herpetofauna was made at two sites of Cerrado biome areas in southeastern Brazil, the basin of Paraná River. At the irst site, ield visits were conducted monthly in 2011 and 2012 in Águas de Santa Barbara municipality, São Paulo State, totaling 24 visits. The observaions were made in a small pond (60 x 60 m) in the Ecological Staion of Santa Barbara (22048’50”S & 49014’11”W, alitude 620m). The pond is located in the open area and its border is formed by grass and emergent vegetaion. The water is crystal clear; the maximum depth is 3 m; the low is slow and the water surface has loaing macrophytes (Image 1). At the second site, ield visits were conducted bimonthly between October 2014 and February 2016 in Estrela do Sul municipality, Minas Gerais State, totaling nine visits. The observaions were made in a small pond (35x45m) at Nova Monte Carmelo Farm, Estrela do Sul municipality, Minas Gerais State (18045’9”S & 47051’52”W, alitude 941m). This pond is close to a crystal-clear stream in an open Cerrado area (Image 2). At this site, a funnel trap (Bury et al. 2012) was used during two days only in the third ield visit. The captured individuals were marked based on the method of Cagle (1939). The chelonians were recorded according to the permits SISBIO 30833-1 and 46085-1. The specimens were ideniied according to Rueda-Almonacid et al. (2007). Results and Discussion On 13 October 2011, a couple of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei (Images 3, 4 and 5) was manually captured in Águas de Santa Bárbara. We collected and deposited voucher specimens in the Herpetological Collecion at the University of São Paulo, “Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo” (Numbers MZUSP T 4396 and 4397). On 16 October 2012 another adult individual was seen in the same pond. Both records were obtained at night (about 20:00 hr) while the animals were foraging. On 27 February 2015 a female of Mesoclemmys © Fábio Mafei Image 1. Habitat of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei observed at the Ecological Staion of Santa Barbara, Águas de Santa Bárbara municipality, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil © Fábio Mafei Image 2. Habitat of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei at the Nova Monte Carmelo Farm, municipality of Estrela do Sul, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil vanderhaegei (Image 6) in Estrela do Sul was captured by using the “funnel trap” and kept in a plasic box at the study base. The individual measured 206mm of carapace length and 134mm of carapace width. On the next day, the female laid seven eggs that had the following measures (L x W mm, weight): Egg 1 - 23.7x18.9 mm, 9.1g; Egg 2 - 21.3x19.1 mm, 8.5g; Egg 3 - 22.3x18.9 mm, 8.1g; Egg 4 - 22.7x19.8 mm, 8.7g; Egg 5 - 23.9x19.3 mm, 9.3g; Egg 6 - 22.9x19.4 mm, 8.7g; Egg 7 - 22.3x17.9 mm, 7.5g. The eggs were incubated, but did not result in hatchlings. On 21 November 2015, a male individual was manually captured in the same pond (Image 7). This record was obtained at 21:00 hr and the animal was on Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2016 | 8(11): 9322–9326 9323 New records of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei from southeastern Brazil © Fábio Mafei Image 3. A Couple of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei observed at the Ecological Staion of Santa Barbara, Águas de Santa Bárbara municipality, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil © Fábio Mafei Image 5. Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei captured at the Ecological Staion of Santa Barbara, Águas de Santa Bárbara municipality, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil the pond border. The individual measured 250mm of carapace length and 160mm of carapace width. Both, the female and the male were marked and returned to the same capture site. In the present study, a couple foraging was recorded in October, corroboraing data of Rueda-Almonacid et al. (2007) and Brito et al. (2009), who reported maing in the spring and early summer, between September and January. The clutch recorded in Estrela do Sul, was observed in February, following the patern of the species which has its spawning season in late summer (Rueda-Almonacid et al. 2007). The recorded clutch size (six eggs) it into the patern for this species, which is 6.5 eggs in nature (Rueda-Almonacid et al. 2007) and 6.4 eggs in capivity (Corazza & Molina 2004). The eggs 9324 Mafei et al. © Fábio Mafei Image 4. Female (let) and male (right) of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei observed at the Ecological Staion of Santa Barbara, Águas de Santa Bárbara municipality, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil © Bruno Tayar Marinho do Nascimento Image 6. Female of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei observed at the Nova Monte Carmelo Farm, municipality of Estrela do Sul, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. © Bruno Tayar Marinho do Nascimento Image 7. A Male of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei observed at the Nova Monte Carmelo Farm, municipality of Estrela do Sul, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2016 | 8(11): 9322–9326 Mafei et al. New records of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei from southeastern Brazil Figure 1. Map of distribuion of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei. Records of Mendonça et al. (2013) and Marques et al. (2014) in yellow dots, and new records in yellow squares. had an average length of 22.7mm (± 0.9), and an average width of 19.0mm (± 0.6) and mean weight of 8.6g (±0.6). These are below the average values reported by Corazza & Molina (2004): 34.1x26.9 mm, weight 14.4g. This should be related to the female size. Wilkinson & Gibbons (2005) reported that one of the factors contribuing to the variability in egg size is the body size of the female. Rueda-Almonacid et al. (2007) reported that the size range of mature females of M. vanderhaegei is between 148mm and 285mm of carapace length, and the female of this study showed an intermediate value (206mm). However, Corazza & Molina (2004) did not observe any staisically signiicant correlaion between the carapace length of the female and the clutch size in capivity for M. vanderhaegei. In São Paulo State, this species was recorded at four locaions. Souza et al. (2000) recorded the species in Iirapina, ciing records in the ciies of Caieiras and São Paulo (capital). Marques et al. (2013) recorded the species in Angatuba. The present record is at 150km SW from Iirapina and 100km NW from Angatuba (Fig. 1). In Minas Gerais State, our record is the third in the state and is at 200km SW from João Pinheiro (Silveira 2009) and 450km W from Jaboicatubas (Mendonça et al. 2013). The records of Iirapina, Águas de Santa Barbara and Jaboicatubas were in protected areas (Ecological Staion of Iirapina, Ecological Staion of Santa Barbara and Serra do Cipó Naional Park, respecively). The records of Estrela do Sul and Angatuba (Marques et al. 2013) were obtained in private eucalyptus farms. These records in protected and private areas in the southeast of Cerrado are important. Souza et al. (2000) indicated that even small reserves may be important for the conservaion of this species, since some populaions survive and reproduce in small remnants. The Cerrado biome is considered a global hotspot, which is a priority area for conservaion characterized by a large concentraion of endemic species, rich biodiversity and high threat level (Myers et al. 2000). More than half of the areas of this biome has been modiied by humans and only 2.2% are protected areas (Klink & Machado 2005). Maintenance of the protected areas where this species occurs, protecion of the remaining Cerrado and consequent perpetuaion of the natural resident subpopulaions of M. vanderhaegei are eicient acions for the conservaion of this species (Vogt et al. 2015). Although considered “Near Threatened” by the IUCN Red List (Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996), Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2016 | 8(11): 9322–9326 9325 New records of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei from southeastern Brazil Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei has a wide distribuion and is abundant at some locaions (e.g.: Brito et al. 2009; Marques et al. 2013). More recently, in 2012, the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group evaluated the species as either Data Deicient or Near Threatened (Turtle Taxonomy Working Group, 2014). Moreover, this species is tolerant of degraded areas (Rueda-Almonacid et al. 2007). This report extends the distribuion of Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei to the east of São Paulo State and Minas Gerais State and proposes that its threat category should be changed to “Least Concern”. 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