From Genes to Greens: How Diet, Climate and Phylogeny Shape Freshwater Turtle Microbiotas

T. Franciscus Scheelings; Thi Thu Hao Van; Anthony Santoro; Louise M. Streeting; Christopher T. Ormond; James U. Van Dyke; Lee F. Skerratt; Robert J. Moore

doi:10.1111/1462-2920.70396

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From Genes to Greens: How Diet, Climate and Phylogeny Shape Freshwater Turtle Microbiotas

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From Genes to Greens: How Diet, Climate and Phylogeny Shape Freshwater Turtle Microbiotas

T. Franciscus Scheelings, Thi Thu Hao Van, Anthony Santoro, Louise M. Streeting, Christopher T. Ormond, James U. Van Dyke, Lee F. Skerratt and Robert J. Moore

Environmental microbiology, Vol.28(8), e70396

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.70396

PMID: 42562015

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Abstract

climate

diet

freshwater turtles

microbiota

phylogeny

Reptile microbiotas remain poorly understood despite their importance for host ecology and evolution. This study investigated how diet, climate and evolutionary history shape the gut microbiota of 234 Australian freshwater turtles spanning 10 species, four climatic zones and contrasting trophic strategies. It was found that turtles' microbiotas were dominated by Pseudomonadota, Actinobacteriota and Bacteroidota. Microbial richness and evenness varied significantly among species, diets and climates. Carnivorous turtles exhibited greater bacterial diversity than omnivores, while individuals from oceanic and humid subtropical zones had higher diversity than those from semi-arid and Mediterranean regions. Canonical Correspondence Analysis confirmed diet and climate as significant predictors of community composition, together explaining 2.76% of total variation. Omnivorous turtles were enriched in Bacteroidota, Myxococcota, Cyanobacteriota and Bacillota, whereas climatic effects drove distinct phylum-level signatures across habitats. Host phylogeny showed a weak but significant signal of phylosymbiosis, indicating an evolutionary imprint on microbial structure. Collectively, these findings reveal that turtle microbiotas are shaped by a complex interplay between ecological and evolutionary forces, underscoring the importance of integrating microbial data into conservation strategies for Australia's increasingly threatened freshwater turtles.

Details

Title: From Genes to Greens: How Diet, Climate and Phylogeny Shape Freshwater Turtle Microbiotas
Authors/Creators: T. Franciscus Scheelings - The University of Melbourne
Thi Thu Hao Van - RMIT University
Anthony Santoro - Murdoch University
Louise M. Streeting - University of New England
Christopher T. Ormond - Government of New South Wales
James U. Van Dyke - La Trobe University
Lee F. Skerratt - The University of Melbourne
Robert J. Moore - RMIT University
Publication Details: Environmental microbiology, Vol.28(8), e70396
Publisher: Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.
Identifiers: 991005912902907891
Murdoch Affiliation: Harry Butler Institute; School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences; Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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