Continental turtles of southeastern Mexico: an update on the identification, composition, distribution and conservation

Mexico has the second highest species richness of turtles in the world. However, there are several research gaps within this group compared to other reptiles, especially in the southeastern region, which has been described as the area with the highest herpetofaunal diversity. These data deficiencies have led to much uncertainty regarding the identification, occurrence, and status of the area’s turtles. Given this context, we provide an update for all the native turtle taxa present in each state in southeastern Mexico. We include maps with historical and unpublished distribution records for each taxon, along with a dichotomous key based on external morphology. We discuss the native turtle taxa documented in southeastern Mexico, the possible presence of some species in certain states, the identification of the turtles in this region, and their conservation status according to national, historical and current contexts.