Chelonian records from the upper Madeira River and the Madeira-Purus interfluvium, 2011-2015

The dataset compiles formally verifiable records of chelonian species from the Madeira River basin obtained during fieldwork of two different research projects: (1) a two-year chelonian survey for the environmental monitoring program of the hydropower plant of Santo Antônio, along a 125-km stretch of the upper Madeira (state of Rondônia, Brazil), in 2010 and 2011, and (2) a four-year research project on foodwebs of small forest streams along the BR-319 highway in the state of Amazonas (Brazil), which runs through the Madeira-Purus interfluvium, between 2011 and 2015. The present datasheet is a subset of all chelonians captured during these studies, including exclusively those records for which physical and/or photographic vouchers as well as the geographical coordinates of the capture point, were available. Sampling of both projects was carried out in the area of designated RAPELD/PPBio sampling sites (MADEIRA and BR319). The bulk of Santo Antônio monitoring data on chelonians originates from surveys in the Madeira River and its associated water bodies, outside of formal RAPELD infrastructure, and several specimens were captured by third parties as by-catch in capture devices intended for other animals, by chance encounters or during fauna rescue in areas subjected to slash-and-burn operations. Individuals were caught manually and using different trapping methods, as indicated.