Conservation Biology of the European Pond Turtle, Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758), in Italy: review of systematics and reproductive ecology patterns (Reptilia Emydidae)

The European pond turtle has been found to be a polytipic ta- xon characterised by some distinct genetic groups that embrace several morphological subspecies. Italian populations belong to at least two, perhaps to three different morphological groups. A spe- cial attention has been recently devoted to the study of reproduc- tive strategies and body size relationships in Italian Emys orbicu- laris, found that both at a small and at a large latitudinal scale pond turtles may offer significant differences at a reproductive and at morphological level. Annual clutch frequency of Italian populations is on average double in most of the western Mediter- ranean area even if this pattern may be strongly influenced by cli- matic constraints. Northern European populations produce on av- erage larger clutches than southern European pond turtle popula- tions, but egg size does not vary within or between populations. Nesting areas are mainly south oriented, but may be located at a very variable distance from water, ranging from one to hundred meter distance. Predation is a constant pattern that averages on about 80-85% of digged nests, and does not appear as a biological constraints to Italian wild populations of the pond turtle.