Mitochondrial variation of the “eyed” turtles (Sacalia) based on known-locality and trade specimens

Geographically, the genus Sacalia is restricted to southern China, Laos, and Vietnam. Currently, Sacalia quadriocellata occupies the western part of the range, including Hainan, while S. bealei occupies the eastern part of the range. Based on known distributions, the area of contact probably is/was in the vicinity of Hong Kong. However, this area is now heavily developed, and there is a lack of reliable data for Sacalia and other turtle species within this region (Fong et al., 2007). According to the IUCN Red list (2006), there are modest populations of S. quadriocellata in Laos and Vietnam, but the Chinese populations of this species, as well as S. bealei, are certainly endangered. In light of the serious conservation status of these turtles, the lack of any genetic data tied to geography, and overall poor understanding of the genetic structure of the genus, we undertook a phylogeographic survey of the genus Sacalia. This study includes the first-ever field-collected genetic samples of the genus, including a topotypic specimen, and supplemented with trade samples from throughout its range.