Invasion unveiled: first report on the natural breeding of the Chinese stripe-necked turtle, Mauremys sinensis (Gray, 1834), in South Korea.

Invasive species are a growing global concern. Modern transportation and the pet trade are facilitating the spread of invasive species. In particular, the global trade of freshwater turtles remains prevalent, with a significant emphasis on their utilization as pets. Aligning with other parts of the world, many recent studies reported a number of alien turtle species in the wild in Korea. However, knowledge of their local establishment and natural breeding is still very limited. In the current study, we report the first natural breeding of Mauremys sinensis in the wild in South Korea. The external features of the observed individual and egg characteristics confirmed its identification. The individual took around 70 minutes to build the nest, lay eggs, and cover up the nest with the soil that it dug from the nest. We recorded a clutch size of ten eggs. The rigid-shelled eggs had an average elongation of 1.82 mm, smaller than M. reevesii. Thus, we confirm the natural breeding and local establishment of M. sinensis in South Korea. Considering previous reports, this finding is significant for understanding both potential competition and putative hybridization with the native species, especially M. reevesii, the endangered native freshwater turtle species in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]