Boletín de la Sociedad Zoológica del Uruguay, 2024
Vol. 33 (1): e33.1.5
ISSN 2393-6940
https://journal.szu.org.uy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26462/33.1.5
NOTA
ABSTRACT
All records gathered since 1997 for the turtles
Acanthochelys pallidipectoris (8 localities), Chelonoidis
chilensis (6) and Kinosternon s. scorpioides (14), in the
Chaco ecoregion of Tarija Department, Bolivia, are
presented georeferenced and mapped. These data
contribute to precise and expand the geographic range of
these three taxa in a region affected by anthropogenic
alteration sustained over time.
Key words: Testudines, Reptilia, Gran Chaco, South
America.
RESUMEN
Registros totales y novedades en el chaco boliviano
para tres tortugas de interés conservacionista. Se
presenta la totalidad de registros reunidos desde 1997
para las tortugas Acanthochelys pallidipectoris (8
localidades), Chelonoidis chilensis (6) y Kinosternon s.
scorpioides (14), en la ecorregión del Chaco en el
Departamento Tarija, Bolivia, georreferenciados y
cartografiados. Estos datos contribuyen a precisar y
ampliar la distribución de estos tres taxa en una región
afectada por alteración antrópica sostenida en el tiempo.
Palabras clave: Testudines, Reptilia, Gran Chaco,
Sudamérica.
More than 50 per cent of extant turtle species in the
world are in one of the main IUCN threat categories:
Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), or
Vulnerable (VU) (Rhodin et al., 2021) due to a
combination of factors that vary in importance
depending on the species in question, its population, or
geographic range of distribution. In southern South
America the main pressure is the anthropogenic
alteration of natural environments for economic
purposes, e.g., substitution or destruction of vegetation
and modification of water courses sustained over time
(Cabrera, 2022) and, in lesser degree, their use as food
or for pet commerce.
The objective of this work is to publish all the
records collected to date for the chelonian species
Acanthochelys pallidipectoris (Freiberg, 1945)
(Chelidae) (Fig. 1), Chelonoidis chilensis (Gray, 1870)
(Testudinidae) (Fig. 2), and Kinosternon s. scorpioides
(Linné, 1766) (Kinosternidae) (Fig. 3) in the Chaco
Ecoregion of the Tarija Departament, southern Bolivia.
This biome extends over almost 13,800 square
kilometers of the departmental surface, representing
11 per cent of the total territory with Chaco
physiognomy of this country.
The conservation interest for these turtles lies in
the threat categories in which each one is put: A.
pallidipectoris is categorized as Endangered (EN) by
Vinke and Vinke (2022) and Near Threatened (NT) in
the Vertebrates Red Book of Bolivia (Cortez, 2009),
although it would be protected by its presence in the
National Park and Natural Area of Integrated
Management Kaa-Iya from the Gran Chaco (in Santa
Cruz Departament) (Aliaga-Rossel et al., 2020).
Chelonoidis chilensis is categorized as Vulnerable
(VU) by the IUCN (2024), as well as in the
Bol. Soc. Zool. Uruguay (2ª época). 2024. ISSN 2393-6940Vol. 33 (1): e33.1.5
NEW FINDINGS AND COMPLETE RECORDING FOR THREE TURTLES OF CONSERVATION INTEREST
IN THE BOLIVIAN CHACO
1 2
Mario R. Cabrera * & Efraín M. Peñaranda Barrios
1 Museo de Zoología Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales,
and Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA) CONICET/UNC, Vélez Sarsfield 299 (5000) Córdoba,
Argentina.
2Geología & Recursos Naturales - GeoAmbiente Ltda. BioData (https://biodata.bio/), Santa Cruz de la Sierra,
Bolivia.
*Corresponding author: m.cabrera@unc.edu.ar
Fecha de recepción: 21 de enero de 2024
Fecha de aceptación: 06 de junio de 2024
.
2
CABRERA & PEÑARANDA B.
Bol. Soc. Zool. Uruguay (2ª época). 2024. ISSN 2393-6940Vol. 33 (1): e33.1.5
Fig. 1. Acanthochelys
pallidipectoris (Well EDD 10;
Municipality Villa Montes; Gran
Chaco Province; Tarija
Departament, Bolivia). Photo by
E. Peñaranda Barrios.
Fig. 2. Chelonoidis
chilensis (LVT Field;
Municipality Villa Montes;
Gran Chaco Province;
Tarija Departament,
Bolivia). Photo by E.
Peñaranda Barrios.
3Complete records of three turtles in Bolivian chaco
Bol. Soc. Zool. Uruguay (2ª época). 2024. ISSN 2393-6940Vol. 33 (1): e33.1.5
Fig. 3. Kinosternon s. scorpioides (Well EDD 9; Municipality Villa Montes; Gran Chaco Province; Tarija Departament,
Bolivia). Photo by E. Peñaranda Barrios.
Table 1. Georeferencing of each of the turtle records gathered for the Tarija Department, Gran Chaco Province, Bolivia. The altitude is
indicated in meters above sea level (masl) as well as the date of photographing or capture in each instance.
Taxon Municipality Locality Latitude Longitude masl Date Reference
Acanthochelys pallidipectoris Villa Montes Taiguati 21°9'35.21"S 63°21'27.57"W 461 2 feb 2012 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
A. pallidipectoris Villa Montes Well LVT6 21°21'10.52"S 63°18'36.98"W 351 27 oct 1998 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
A. pallidipectoris Villa Montes Well EDD10 21°25'39.26"S 63°20'14.02"W 375 12 feb 2011 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
A. pallidipectoris Villa Montes Road to Field 21°31'19.66"S 62°32'52.66"W 290 25 nov 2005 Peñaranda Barrios
EDD (2012)
A. pallidipectoris Villa Montes Corbalán 21º40'14.8”S 62º27'57.3”W 280 11 dec 2004 Gonzales et al.
(2006)
A. pallidipectoris Yacuiba Algarrobilla 21°55'57.54"S 63°15'37.22"W 405 13 oct 1997 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
A. pallidipectoris Villa Montes EDD Field 21°26'10.72"S 63°19'56.44"W 376 10 dec 2015 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
A. pallidipectoris Villa Montes LVT Field- 21°19'32.15"S 63°17'49.50"W 347 1 sep 2007 Peñaranda Barrios
Lagoon (2012)
San Juan
Kinosternon s. scorpioides Villa Montes Taiguati 21° 8'31.12"S 63°18'31.77"W 438 9 mar 2012 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
CABRERA & PEÑARANDA B.
categorization for the Chaco and Monte of Argentina
(Prado et al., 2012) and as NT in Bolivia (Cortez,
2009), although it is VU within the limits of the Chaco
Tarijeño (Peñaranda Barrios, 2012). Kinosternon s.
scorpioides is not included in the IUCN Red List due to
its large distribution area and, consequently, it is
considered of Least Concern (LC) at continental level
(Rhodin et al., 2021). Although in Bolivia it would be
protected by its registration in the Noel Kempff
Mercado, Otuquis, and Isiboro-Sécure national parks,
and in the Manuripi Amazonian Wildlife National
Reserve and the Beni Biosphere Reserve and
Biological Station (Aliaga-Rossel et al., 2020), in the
Chaco Tarijeño is categorized as NT (Peñaranda
Barrios, 2012).
The surveys carried out since 1997 by the second
author and his field team, complemented by a critical
review of the specialized literature, consults of records
in electronic databases such as the Global
Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), as well as in
citizen science web repositories such as iNaturalist
and BioData, allowed us to compile 28 records (8 of A.
pallidipectoris; 6 of C. chilensis; 14 of K. s.
scorpioides) confirmed by sightings and photographs
4
Bol. Soc. Zool. Uruguay (2ª época). 2024. ISSN 2393-6940Vol. 33 (1): e33.1.5
Table 1. Cont.
Taxon Municipality Locality Latitude Longitude masl Date Reference
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes Well LVT7 21°19'25.64"S 63°18'49.40"W 354 15 nov 2011 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes Forest DDV 21°20'6.19"S 63°18'14.13"W 354 21 dec 2001 Peñaranda Barrios
LVT7 (2012)
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes DDV Well LVT 21°21'22.47"S 63°18'44.20"W 352 23 nov 2006 Peñaranda Barrios
(road to (2012)
Pilcomayo)
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes DDV Shaffer 21°21'31.73"S 63°19'27.59"W 352 13 nov 2005 Peñaranda Barrios
valves (2012)
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes Pilcomayo 21°21'34.86"S 63°19'30.26"W 354 10 dec 1998 Peñaranda Barrios
River (2012)
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes Well EDD9 21°25'49.08"S 63°19'32.59"W 374 13 dec 2011 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes Mistolar 21°30'7.13"S 63° 2'38.33"W 325 5 jan 2015 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes TCO 21°27'5.07"S 63° 9'50.54"W 338 11 nov 2012 Peñaranda Barrios
Weenhayek- (2012)
Bella
Esperanza
K. s. scorpioides Yacuiba Aguayrenda 21°51'50.74"S 63°38'8.94"W 651 1 jul 1897 Peracca (1897)
Mission
K. s. scorpioides Yacuiba Caiza 21°48'8.52"S 63°32'58.21"W 567 1 jul 1897 Peracca (1897)
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes Villa Montes 21°16'11.26"S 63°28'10.50"W 377 12 dec 2021 Pizarro, C., in:
Inaturalist (2021)
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes Villa Montes, 21°15'59.21"S 63° 9'52.30"W 423 19 oct 2023 Pizarro, C., in:
Imbache Inaturalist (2023)
K. s. scorpioides Villa Montes LVT Field 21°19'27.43"S 63°18'26.73"W 349 15 oct 2005 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
Chelonoidis chilensis Villa Montes LVT Field 21°19'31.31"S 63°18'22.64"W 350 5 jul 2001 Peñaranda Barrios
(2012)
C. chilensis Villa Montes Escondido 21°30'3.58"S 63°19'17.86"W 385 28 nov 2004 Peñaranda Barrios
Field-Cardonal (2012)
C. chilensis Villa Montes Los Suris 21°24'39.77"S 63°19'32.34"W 371 3 jan 2011 Peñaranda Barrios
Field (2012)
C. chilensis Villa Montes Corbalán 21º40'14.8”S 62º27'57.3”W 280 11 dec 2004 Gonzales et al.
(2006)
C. chilensis Villa Montes Mennonite 21°16'59.01"S 63°17'50.44"W 499 1 nov 2022 Pizarro, C., in:
Colony Inaturalist (2021)
C. chilensis Villa Montes Pilcomayo 21°21'47.40"S 63°14'43.64"W 338 11 oct 2017 Peñaranda Barrios
River (2012)
CABRERA & PEÑARANDA B.
in the area, which are shown here georeferenced
(Table 1) and mapped (Fig. 4). The data provided here
contribute to clarify and increase the knowledge about
the distribution of these three taxa in the still
underexplored country of Bolivia and particularly in the
Chaco of Tarija. As in other cases of tortoises and
freshwater turtles of the world with uneven range
distributions, the degree of menace to them differs
considerably among countries, encouraging
governments to regulate local compliance measures
regardless of the global conservation status of the
species in question. This particular situation highlights
then the importance of determining regional
geographical ranges as accurately as possible.
Thanks to José and Carlos Peñaranda for their
unconditional support in the field expeditions,
photographs and data provided about Chaco turtles, to
the translator Mariano Cabrera for helping with the final
English version, and to one anonymous reviewer for
helpful comments. EMPB thanks Shell Bolivia
Corporation, GeoAmbiente Ltda., and BioData, for
financing his biodiversity project on the Tarija Chaco.
MRC is Member of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and
Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group.
REFERENCES
Aliaga-Rossel, E., Cortez Fernández, C. & Reichle, S.
(2020). Reptiles y Mamíferos Acuáticos y Semi
Acuáticos de las Áreas Protegidas Nacionales
de Bolivia. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y
Agua, La Paz. 80 pp.
BioData (Biodiversity Information Platform). (2023).
Available at: https://biodata.bio/. (Accessed on
August 24, 2023).
Cabrera, M.R. (2022). Las Tortugas Continentales de
Sudamérica Austral. Revised and expanded
edition. Editorial de la UNC, Córdoba. 216 pp.
Cortez, C. (2009). Reptiles. In: Libro Rojo de la Fauna
Silvestre de Vertebrados de Bolivia, pp. 225-
304. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Agua, La
Paz.
GBIF. (2023). GBIF Home Page. Available at:
https://www.gbif.org. (Accessed on June 13,
2023).
Gonzales, L., Muñoz, A. & Cortez, E. (2006). Primer
reporte sobre la herpetofauna de la Reserva
Natural “El Corbalán”, Tarija, Bolivia.
Kempffiana, 2, 72-94.
i N a t u r a l i s t . ( 2 0 2 3 ) . A v a i l a b l e f r o m
https://www.inaturalist.org. (Accessed on June
30, 2023, and October 15, 2023).
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
(2024). The IUCN Red List of Threatened
S p e c i e s . V e r s i o n 2 0 2 3 - 1 .
https://www.iucnredlist.org
Peñaranda Barrios, E.M. (2012). Fauna Silvestre
Planta de Gas La Vertiente, Gran Chaco
Tarijeño. BG Bolivia – Geoambiente Ltda., Villa
Montes. 353 pp.
Peracca, M.G. (1897). Rettili e Anfibi. Viaggio del Dott.
Alfredo Borelli nel Chaco boliviano e nella
Repubblica Argentina. Bollettino dei Musei di
Zoologia ed Anatomia comparata della R.
Università di Torino, 12, 1-19.
Prado, W.S., Waller, T., Albareda, D.A., Cabrera, M.R.,
Etchepare, E., Giraudo, A.R. ... E. Richard.
(2012). Categorización del estado de
conservación de las tortugas de la República
Argentina. Cuadernos de Herpetología, 26
(Suppl. 1), 375-402.
Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., Bour, R., Fritz, U.,
Georges, A., Shaffer, H.B. & van Dijk, P.P. (Turtle
Taxonomy Working Group). (2021). Turtles of
the world: Annotated checklist and atlas of
taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and
th
conservation status (9 Ed.). In: Rhodin, A.G.J.,
Iverson, J.B., van Dijk, P.P., Stanford, C.B.,
Goode, E.V., Buhlmann, K.V. & Mittermeier,
R.A. (Eds.) Conservation Biology of Freshwater
Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of
the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle
Specialist Group. Chelonian Research
Monographs, 8: 1-472.
Vinke, T. & Vinke, S. (2022). Acanthochelys
pallidipectoris (amended version of 2016
assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened
S p e c i e s 2 0 2 2 : e . T 7 5 A 2 1 7 7 5 8 8 6 2 .
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-
1.RLTS.T75A217758862.en. (Accessed on
January 18, 2024).
Editor de Sección: Raúl Maneyro
6
Bol. Soc. Zool. Uruguay (2ª época). 2024. ISSN 2393-6940Vol. 33 (1): e33.1.5
