Connection between global conservation status, geographical range size, midpoint latitude, female carapace length, and clutch size of Testudines

Abstract

The need for species conservation is only magnified with each passing day. Testudines are one of the taxonomic orders most at risk of extinction on Earth. Over 70% of Testudines are globally listed on the IUCN Red List and over 60% of those are at risk of extinction. Testudines face many threats including habitat loss and degradation. At time of data collection there were 258 turtles globally listed on the IUCN Red List. Following justified additions there were recognized to be 266 turtle species globally listed on the IUCN Red List for the purpose of this study. I collected data for 357 turtle species and examined the association of conservation status with geographic range size, midpoint latitude, female carapace length, and clutch size to determine if any of these attributes would be useful for determining extinction risk. IUCN status rank for species was most highly correlated with mean female carapace length. IUCN status rank for species was most highly correlated with mean female carapace length. The positive association of risk with increasing body size supports concerns about the impact of harvesting or poaching of turtles and tortoises by humans. Testudines are clearly in need of conservation efforts.