Conservation Status of Globally Testudines Terrapins Based on COI Mitochondrial Markers

Terrapins inhabit brackish water and coastal salt marshes. Terrapins are adapted to intermediate salinities but frequently face saltwater-inundated marsh habitats. To date, 12 species of terrapin have been reported worldwide. The present study aims to determine the global utility of terrapin DNA barcoding using novel COI sequences and compare them to other COI sequences previously published in BOLD systems and GenBank. A total of 26 COI sequences of worldwide terrapins were assessed in this study, including 13 COI sequences generated from field sampling on the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia. Nevertheless, the conservation status of the terrapins is also taken into account for sustainability priority. The assessment of the COI sequences with the UPGMA tree identified three families, with 33% of terrapins being classified as least concern (LC) and 25% of them being classified as critically endangered (CR). In this study, we looked at the genome and bioinformatics of terrapins, which could be used as a starting point for future research on terrapin species all over the world.