Baek, H.-J.; Cho, S.; Seok, M.; Shin, J.-W.; Kim, D.-I. Domestic Reutilization Status of Invasive Turtle Species in South Korea Based on Trachemys scripta. Diversity2023, 15, 885.
Baek, H.-J.; Cho, S.; Seok, M.; Shin, J.-W.; Kim, D.-I. Domestic Reutilization Status of Invasive Turtle Species in South Korea Based on Trachemys scripta. Diversity 2023, 15, 885.
Baek, H.-J.; Cho, S.; Seok, M.; Shin, J.-W.; Kim, D.-I. Domestic Reutilization Status of Invasive Turtle Species in South Korea Based on Trachemys scripta. Diversity2023, 15, 885.
Baek, H.-J.; Cho, S.; Seok, M.; Shin, J.-W.; Kim, D.-I. Domestic Reutilization Status of Invasive Turtle Species in South Korea Based on Trachemys scripta. Diversity 2023, 15, 885.
Abstract
The pond slider (Trachemys scripta) was designated as an invasive alien species in South Korea in 2001. Although the prevention and control of invasive species have received considerable atten-tion worldwide, studies on the current status and effective management of T. scripta in South Korea are lacking. This study aimed to elucidate the status of domestic reuse of T. scripta and provide effective management suggestions. Analysis of the National Institute of Ecology's “Na-tionwide Survey of Non-native Species in Korea” conducted from 2015 to 2022 confirmed the habitats of 1,440 T. scripta individuals at 295 sites. T. scripta is the most frequently observed among invasive turtles identified in the Korean Peninsula. To determine the reuse of T. scripta, 13 tradi-tional markets were surveyed; five markets were confirmed to have T. scripta. Although the exact distribution route is unknown, individuals living or abandoned in the region might be resold in the market. T. scripta is mostly sold for ritual purposes. Moreover, T. scripta accounted for 31% of freshwater turtles abandoned between 2019 and 2022. Their continuous reuse has been confirmed 22 years after their designation as an invasive alien species. Therefore, effective and fundamental management measures for T. scripta are required.
Keywords
animal release; invasive species management; South Korea; traditional markets; Trachemys scripta
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Other
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
