First report on the natural breeding of river cooter, Pseudemys concinna Le Conte (1830), in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

Pseudemys concinna (River cooter) is native to the United States. Although the turtle is invasive to many countries around the world, successful breeding in the wild is confirmed only in the Iberian Peninsula. River cooters have been imported into the Republic of Korea, hereafter Korea, since early 2000s and sold nationwide. Due to discovery in the wild, they were designated as an invasive species in March 2020, and the import and trade of this turtle were banned. This paper reports two cases that serve as evidence for the successful settlement of the river cooter introduced in Korea. On June 27, 2019, a female P. concinna and her nest were found at a public park in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, the Republic of Korea. Two out of 12 eggs were on the verge of hatching. On October 17, 2019, however, all eggs were found dead. On April 6, 2022, two hatchlings of P. concinna presumed to be born in 2021 were found in Geumho Reservoir, Jinju City. One of the hatchlings was captured on April 27, 2022. Successful breeding in the wild suggests that P. concinna has settled in Korea's natural environment.