仅分布于新南威尔士州曼宁河地区的濒危原生龟种曼宁河盔龟正面临另一原生龟种麦夸里河龟的威胁1。曼宁河盔龟的系谱可追溯至5500万年前1，然而麦夸里河龟自2007年首次在曼宁河被发现以来，已在该河流的九条不同支流中扩散1。这种龟种可能是通过人们释放的宠物引入当地的，它通过竞争食物、传播疾病和杂交威胁濒危物种的生存1。研究人员已在贝林格河和卡朗河中发现了杂交现象1。
为了应对这一生态挑战，澳大利亚研究人员开发了高灵敏度的环境DNA测试来监测入侵龟种的传播1。研究人员从五个地点采集了为期三天的水样，使用便携式环境DNA背包进行采集1。鼻管调查与环境DNA测试的结果一致，在五个地点均检测到曼宁河龟，但未检测到麦夸里河龟1。
The Manning River Helmeted Turtle, an endangered species found exclusively in New South Wales's Manning River region with a lineage extending back 55 million years, is under mounting pressure from the Macquarie River Turtle, a native species that does not naturally inhabit the area 1. The Macquarie River Turtle was first recorded in the Manning River in 2007, likely introduced through released pets, and has since spread across nine separate tributaries of the Manning River catchment 1. The competing species threatens the endemic population through direct competition for food, disease transmission, and hybridization, with interbreeding already documented in the Bellinger and Kalang Rivers 1.
Researchers have developed a sensitive environmental DNA testing method to monitor the invasive turtle's continued expansion 1. In their study, scientists collected water samples over three days from five locations using portable eDNA backpacks 1. The environmental DNA results aligned with traditional snorkel survey findings, confirming the presence of Manning River Turtles at all five sampling sites, though the Macquarie River Turtle was not detected in these particular samples 1.
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