Summary
The Seychelles subspecies of yellow-bellied mud turtle, Pelusios castanoides intergularis (Family Pelomedusidae), is restricted to six islands of the Seychelles group. Four breeding populations remain and the extant wild population was estimated at only 120 adults in 2005. Populations continue to decline due to ongoing marsh drainage and river canalization. Legal protection of wetland habitats is urgently required, and ongoing reintroductions to protected areas need to continue to secure the future of this species.
Distribution
Seychelles. Found only in the granitic Seychelles on Mahé, Cerf, Silhouette, Praslin, La Digue, and Fregate islands.
Distribution of Pelusios castanoides intergularis in the Seychelles islands, east of Africa in the Indian Ocean. Red points = museum and literature occurrence records based on recent and current author's data; green shading = projected distribution based on author's data.
Synonymy
Pelusios castanoides intergularis Bour 1983.
Conservation Status
IUCN 2007 Red List: Critically Endangered (CR A2c; B2ab(ii,iii)) (assessed 2003)
Legal Status
CITES: Not Listed; Seychelles WAPR: Protected.
Citation
Gerlach, J. 2008. Pelusios castanoides intergularis Bour 1983 – Seychelles yellow-bellied mud turtle, Seychelles chestnut-bellied terrapin. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Pritchard, P.C.H., van Dijk, P.P., Saumure, R.A., Buhlmann, K.A., and Iverson, J.B. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5, pp. 010.1-010.4, doi:10.3854/crm.5.010.intergularis.v1.2008, //iucn-tftsg.org/cbftt/.