Can artificial rearing benefit the natural breeding of European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) in its northern distribution range?

The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is a protected and endangered species in Europe experiencing a drastic demographic decrease over most of its range. In Lithuania, at its northern distribution range, E. orbicularis populations are small and fragmented, making them highly vulnerable to decline and deserving of active protection measures. The main reasons for the decrease in E. orbicularis populations are habitat loss due to changes in land use and the destruction of nesting sites. The survival of healthy E. orbicularis populations depends on the survival of eggs and the first overwintering of hatchlings. The aim of this study was to compare the hatching success of naturally vs artificially incubated E. orbicularis eggs and further artificially reared hatchling survival during their first year. We also provided an overview of the main nesting measurements, including clutch size and depth, from the small E. orbicularis populations in Lithuania. Finally, we furnished detailed descriptions of the artificial egg incubation and subsequent hatchling-rearing methodologies that can be used to preserve and increase the size of local small E. orbicularis populations in their northern distribution range.