Published May 14, 2026 | Version v1
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Distribution and invasion risk of non-native amphibians and aquatic reptiles in the Pannonian Biogeographical Region of Central Europe

  • 1. Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary|Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary|HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Group, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
  • 2. Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary|Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary|Dr. Puky Miklós Toad Action Group, Budapest, Hungary|HUN-REN Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
  • 3. Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
  • 4. Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary|HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Group, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

Description

Global declines in amphibians and reptiles have been well documented for decades, with invasive species being one of the major threats. In the Pannonian Biogeographical Region (PBR) of Central Europe, which includes the whole territory of Hungary and peripheral areas of Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, and Ukraine, there is currently no systematic overview of the occurrence and potential risk of invasiveness of non-native amphibians and aquatic reptiles. Here, we (i) collated observations on non-native species occurrence in the PBR, (ii) ran a monitoring program focused on the urban areas around Budapest, the capital of Hungary, and (iii) screened 16 amphibian and 28 aquatic reptile non-native species found across the PBR and in the local pet trade market for risk of invasiveness under both current and predicted future climate conditions. The risk screening was carried out using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit v2.4 (AS-ISK). We collected 5,134 observations of five amphibian and 14 aquatic reptile non-native species in the PBR, with the highest diversity and densities observed in urban areas. Screening revealed that six amphibians and 23 aquatic reptiles can be regarded as posing a high to very high risk of invasiveness, especially after accounting for the effects of climate change. Combining occurrence data and screening results, the highest-risk taxa include the three subspecies of pond slider Trachemys scripta, the common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina, the Eastern river cooter Pseudemys concinna, the Chinese soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis, the false map turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica, the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis, and the western dwarf clawed frog Hymenochirus curtipes. Trachemys scripta elegans and T. s. scripta can already be considered invasive. We conclude that pet keeping presents a serious conservation threat for the PBR, where urban areas act as incubators for potential invasion. We emphasize the importance of public campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the risk posed by invasive species and of continuous targeted monitoring of urban areas to prevent future invasions.

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