Turtles are among the smallest of vertebrate groups in terms of modern diversity, but they
are also among the most endangered. More than half, 51% to 56% of taxa are considered …

Based on the critical review of the literature published in the last 22 years, an attempt was
made to evaluate the current knowledge gap on the distribution and status of the native …

Background The origin of turtles and crocodiles and their easily recognized body forms
dates to the Triassic and Jurassic. Despite their long-term success, extant species diversity …

Grass snakes are widely distributed across the Western Palearctic. Recent phylogeographic
studies provided evidence that three distinct parapatric species exist. Two of these occur in …

Diagnosability is central to taxonomy as are type specimens which define taxa. New
advances in technologies and the discovery of new informative traits must be matched with …

Kinosternon is the most speciose genus of extant turtles, with 22 currently recognized
species, distributed across large parts of the Americas. Most species have small …

Chinese softshell turtles (Pelodiscus spp.) are widely distributed, ranging from the Amur and
Ussuri Rivers in the Russian Far East through the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and eastern …

We studied for the first time the molecular differentiation of all three currently recognized
subspecies of Trachemys scripta, including the morphologically distinct western populations …

South America was invaded by slider turtles (Trachemys spp.) twice, with one immigration
wave estimated to have reached South America 8.6–7.1 million years ago (mya) and a …

The geographical pattern of genetic diversity was investigated in the endemic Sicilian pond
turtle Emys trinacris across its entire distribution range, using 16 microsatellite loci. Overall …