Database of anomalies in carapace shields and limbs in Trachemys dorbigni

Abstract

The database compiles information on anomalies in the number of scutes and the absence of limbs in Trachemys dorbigni across various geographical areas of its distribution in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (Arroio Grande, ESEC Taim, Pelotas, and Rio Grande). Data were collected from 1993 to 2006, encompassing records of 3,876 distinct individuals and a total of 4,740 entries, including recaptures. The data are segmented by sex, life stage, and geographical areas, and incorporate additional variables such as size, weight, and capture method. The evaluation of anomalies considered different groups of scutes: marginal, costal, vertebral, nuchal, supracaudal, and plastron. Excluding recapture records, the distribution of animals comprised 2,490 females, 1,264 hatchlings, 111 males, 4 juveniles, and 7 of indeterminate sex. The data indicate a variation ranging from the loss of up to three scutes to the addition of up to six, predominantly occurring in marginal and vertebral scutes. The prevalence of scute anomalies varied from 0.15 in Arroio Grande to 0.21 in Rio Grande.