2019 Turtle Survival

Turtle Survival

20 1 9

RICK HUDSON FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

Shining the Spotlight on North American Turtles

For the first time in our magazine’s 18-year history, we are featuring a North American species on the cover. One of the world’s largest freshwater turtles, the Alligator Snapping Turtle (AST) is an impressive behemoth and a beautifully adapted sit-and-wait predator. Hauling a big AST out of the water is truly an awe-inspiring experience and I have often said if this species was rare and from some obscure island, collectors would be offering huge sums of money for them.

The AST is truly a survivor, managing to hang on in unexpected places due to their cryptic nature. Buffalo Bayou for example, just a stone’s throw from downtown Houston, the nation’s 4th largest city, supports a robust population and is now a focus of TSA’s North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group (NAFTRG). Over the past three years, a team of dedicated volunteers has captured and marked 69 ASTs in targeted segments of this bayou and are collecting useful movement data through radio tracking. Five of these turtles exceed 100 pounds, indicating a longestablished population, even more extraordinary when you consider that ASTs were thought – erroneously – to have disappeared from Harris County.

The AST study is just one example of the many turtle research projects being conducted by NAFTRG under the leadership of Eric Munscher and Dr. Brian Hague. The Comal Springs survey in New Braunfels, Texas is yielding long-term population data concerning one of the largest populations of Common Musk Turtles known; and in Florida, two more parks have been added, bringing our springs study sites in the state to an even ten. Radio-tracking is shedding light on extensive movements of Florida cooters within these springs systems and we expect

that some of our missing marked turtles will soon turn up in our two new sites. In recent years, NAFTRG has expanded into Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Canada, and will soon be kicking off a new project in Belize, starting on the Bladen River at the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE). In short, NAFTRG is one of TSA’s fastest growing programs, which is important, given the range of new threats that North American species are facing.

One of the most insidious threats is the staggering increase in protected species being smuggled out of the U.S., particularly North American Box Turtles, Spotted Turtles, Wood Turtles and Diamondback Terrapins. In 2018-19 the USFWS became overwhelmed with caring for confiscated turtles that were intercepted from outgoing US mail, FEDEX, and other couriers, their warehouses being transformed into turtle hospitals. Given that only an estimated ten percent of illegal

wildlife is detected, and not all shipments of turtles are inspected, the scope of this problem is much larger than what we actually see. In response, the enforcement community, in addition to their steadfast activities to identify and disrupt smuggling enterprises, addressed these issues through a series of workshops and summits, seeking solutions that engage the zoo and turtle conservation community. The TSA has participated in three of these forums and stands ready to assist once a financially viable option is on the table.

On the international front I am happy to report good news from both Colombia and Madagascar. First, the first-ever reserve dedicated to protecting a critically endangered turtle in Colombia was recently created through a partnership with Rainforest Trust, Wildlife Conservation Society, and the TSA. Endemic to the tropical dry forests of northern Colombia, Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle is clinging to survival in a highly altered habitat, with over 90% of this habitat having been cleared for cattle grazing. And secondly, in Madagascar, after a brutal 2018 that saw ~20,000 Radiated Tortoises seized from the illegal trade – 15,000 of which are still being cared for by the TSA – it is with a bit of trepidation that I report that this number was down to 720 in 2019! We remain cautiously optimistic that the storm has passed.

I hope you will join forces with TSA as we continue to make progress in saving species both locally and globally. As always, thanks for sharing our vision, and for all that you do to help ensure that we will always have a world with turtles.

I hope you enjoy this year’s edition of Turtle Survival.

BOARD MEMBERS

Andre Daneault

William Dennler

Tim Gregory, PhD

Brian Horne, PhD

Rick Hudson, President

John Iverson, PhD

Patricia Koval, LLD, Chair

Palmer “Satch” Krantz

Dwight Lawson, PhD, Vice-President

Kim Lovich

Lonnie McCaskill

John Mitchell

Russ Mittermeier, PhD

Hugh Quinn, PhD

Anders Rhodin, MD

Walter Sedgwick

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Andrew Walde

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Jordan Gray

David Hedrick

Jan Holloway

Emily Kiefner

TURTLE SURVIVAL CENTER STAFF

Carol Alvarez, RMA, NCPT

Clinton Doak

John Greene

Cris Hagen

Nathan Haislip, MS

RANGE COUNTRY PROGRAM LEADERS

German Forero-Medina, PhD

Kalyar Platt, PhD

Herilala Randriamahazo, PhD

Shailendra Singh, PhD

ABOUT THE COVER: The Western Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a focal species of study for our North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group. In 2016 our team made an unexpected find of this prehistoric looking turtle in metropolitan Houston, Texas. Since that time, our population study has recorded an impressive 75 unique individuals representing juvenile, subadult, and adult age classes of both sexes, demonstrating a seemingly robust and reproductive population. Over the past year, 10 turtles have been outfitted with radio transmitters to gain important insight into the movements, habitat preference, and range parameters of this urban population. As a State Threatened species in Texas who’s a candidate for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, gaining as much knowledge on this cryptic leviathan as we can is imperative to their protection and recovery. See full story p 4-7

PHOTO CREDIT: VALERIA GLADKAYA

TSA Welcomes New Board Member: Palmer “Satch” Krantz

Palmer “Satch” Krantz retired from Columbia, South Carolina’s Riverbanks Zoo in 2017. He served as the Zoo’s president and CEO for 41 years. At the time of his retirement, Riverbanks was South Carolina’s largest attraction, drawing 1.3 million visitors a year. Throughout his career he was very active in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. He is the only person to have served twice as the Association’s board chair. He is also one of only three Americans to have served as chair of the AZA board and chair of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Satch currently resides on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and joined the TSA Board of Directors in 2019. He brings with him a strong background in non-profit management and has a wealth of experience with captive animal related issues. His familiarity with South Carolina communities is proving to be a valuable asset to the TSA Board.

TSA also bids farewell to three long-term Board members who are cycling off after serving two or more three-year terms, after which, according to our bylaws, one must rotate off the Board. The first is Frank Slavens, one of our original Board members from 2009. Among other contributions, Frank was instrumental in establishing our first endowment fund and was in charge of selling Bern Tryon’s herpetological library that established the Tryon fund for Southern Bog Turtles, which today generates annual funds for field research. Mike Fouraker joined us in 2011, a logical choice because of his, and the Fort Worth Zoo’s, long-standing commitment to TSA, having hosted the organizational headquarters since 2001. Based on his many years of experience with zoos and conservation nonprofits, Mike brought a level of critical thinking to the Board that was always insightful. Susie Ellis came on the Board in 2013 and likewise brought a wealth of experience in conservation planning, leading the Board through our first strategic planning workshop. Susie has a long history with TSA, having played a monumental role in “giving birth” to TSA during the 2001 organizational workshop in Fort Worth, TX. While Frank, Mike, and Suzie’s Board terms may be up, they will remain engaged in Board committee work and are encouraged to attend future Board meetings. On behalf of the rest of the TSA Board of Directors, we wish to extend our sincerest gratitude for their years of service, sacrifice, and support.

ABOUT THE TURTLE SURVIVAL ALLIANCE

“Zero turtle extinctions in the 21st century” – a bold pledge by an emboldened group of chelonian conservationists. The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) is in its 18th year of this commitment to the tortoise and freshwater turtle species and the six continents on which they reside. Created in 2001 in response to “The Asian Turtle Crisis,” the title given to the rampant and unsustainable harvest of Asian turtles, the TSA has since expanded to create a global chelonian conservation network.

During its first four years, the TSA operated as a task force for the IUCN’s (World Conservation Union) Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG). In 2005, the TSA sought an independent 501(c) (3)

nonprofit status, with a home base at the Fort Worth Zoo, Texas. As the TSA’s global reach grew, so did its need for restructuring, and a Board of Directors was instituted in 2009. With this growth also came the need for the construction of a facility to house and provide assurance colonies for some of the world’s most endangered species of chelonians. Thus, the Turtle Survival Center, now home to 700 specimens, was created in the backwoods of coastal South Carolina.

The Turtle Survival Alliance continues to be a global force in the effort to provide dynamic in situ and ex situ conservation initiatives including breeding programs, assurance colonies, and management plans, field research and culturally sensitive

conservation initiatives, hands on, readable, and viewable public outreach; and sharing information, techniques, and communication throughout the chelonian conservation community. Through working collaborations with zoos, aquariums, universities, private turtle enthusiasts, veterinarians, government agencies, and conservation organizations, the TSA is widely recognized as a catalyst for turtle conservation, with a reputation for swift and decisive action.

As anthropogenic threats such as habitat loss, poaching, and pollution continue to wreak havoc on turtle and tortoise populations worldwide, the TSA is committed, now more than ever, to fight for the preservation of these animals.

Partners are the Key to Our Success

The Turtle Survival Alliance is proud to acknowledge the following organizations that make our work possible. The organizations listed here provide a range of services supporting our mission, including guidance, networking, strategic planning, funding, husbandry, rescue, animal management, marketing and public relations, field research, logistical and technical support, salaried positions, and other resources.

The Search for Urban Monsters: Through the Eyes of a Biologist Tracking Snappers in a Concrete Jungle

It’s 3:45 PM on a mid-July day in southeastern Texas. As I open the door of my car, the sun’s intense afternoon rays greet me with a blistering welcome. The thick, humid air wraps me like a cloak. Below me, the minute sound of flowing water is almost drowned out by the rush of automobiles overhead. Even on a Saturday afternoon, traffic on I-610 encircling metropolitan Houston is barely discernable from its

weekday barrage. I take a final inventory of my telemetry equipment before immersing myself in the urban oasis below with one objective: locate Western Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii), a State Threatened species.

Unstrapping the kayak from the roof of my car, a passerby notices my unique equipment and asks me what I am doing. “I’m

looking for turtles,” I say. “What kind?” “Alligator Snapping Turtles.” “They live down there?” she asks with a puzzled look on her face. “Yes, lots of them,” I reply. “What are you going to do with them?” she again inquires. “We’re doing scientific research on the population. I’m tracking them to see where they are and where they go in the bayou.” “Oh, I’ve seen something about that in the paper,” she states. This

Valeria Gladkaya, Jordan Gray, and Eric Munscher

Our study has recorded numerous juveniles demonstrating a reproductive population with successful recruitment. PHOTO CREDIT: VIVIANA RICARDEZ

exchange continues for a few more minutes until she tells me good luck and goes on her way. Most people who frequent the parkland adjacent to the bayou are unaware of the turtles’ presence there. They are a cryptic species, well camouflaged amongst fallen logs and protruding granite revetments. They rarely, if ever, come out to bask, and their activities are masked by turbid water that offers zero visibility into their lives below.

I haul the kayak down to the water’s edge, trying to maintain my footing on the slick mud of the bayou’s banks. On this relatively peaceful afternoon I begin upstream, a feat that would be nearly impossible when waters are running high. Here in southeast Texas, thunderstorms are commonplace during the summer months and I must always check the radar for precipitation before embarking on my journey. A thunderstorm anywhere upstream within the vicinity of the Buffalo Bayou’s watershed can radically and rapidly change the water levels and speed of flow. Today, there appears to be no such threat.

Roughly 100 meters upstream from where I put in, Turtle 3, an adult male Alligator Snapping Turtle (AST) makes his home. He shows such fidelity to his home-range that I can typically pick up his signal before I begin paddling. As I round the bend, the audible beeping on my receiver picking up Turtle 3’s radio transmitter signal becomes loud and acute. Further upstream, Turtle 6, another adult male has made his home. He too has habits I have come to learn, rarely leaving his home-range. As I enter the stretch of water I’ve come to know him to inhabit my receiver makes no sound elucidating his presence. I check the channel of my receiver. Still no sound. Times like these often make me worry that something has happened to “my turtle.” Adult ASTs have no predators. They are covered in a thick bony shell, have claws as large as a bear, and are armed with a fearsome set of

jaws that can clamp down with up to 1000 psi’s of bite pressure in 1/100th of second.

The largest male we have encountered during our research in this particular bayou is an impressive 132 lbs. No medium-sized predator in this region would want to take a chance molesting such a specimen.

The biggest threat to these iconic and prehistoric-looking giants are people; particularly

fishing activities and refuse. Since beginning our research in October 2016, we have found 4 adult ASTs who lost their lives to discarded or misplaced fishing equipment. Even the largest snapping turtle is no match for the simple combination of a treble hook, lead weights, and invisible monofilament line. An entanglement in this combination is typically a death sentence, as the turtles cannot surface to breathe. Just last month I encountered one

TSA-NAFTRG intern Valeria Gladkaya poses with the largest Alligator Snapping Turtle recorded from our study, a 132 lb. (60 kg) male affectionately known as ‘El Gigante.’ PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS DRAKE

of these tragic and heartbreaking finds. As I was performing my usual telemetry routine, I saw a large mass floating on the water’s surface. Sadly, as I approached the mass, the distinct lines of the top shell scutes of a turtle came into focus. Upon reaching the dead turtle, limbs bloated with the gases of putrefaction, his untimely ending was apparent. No doubt the telltale signs of a drowning incident due to fishing gear entanglement. To confirm this unnecessary waste of life we fished the body from the water, bringing with it a fishhook lodged in its mouth, and monofilament line, weighted with lead, entangling its neck. It was a somber day.

Threats such as this, as well as illegal poaching, and habitat alteration, combined with a paucity of knowledge on the species in Texas, led to a meeting with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Turtle Survival Alliance, and other stakeholders this spring. Currently listed as an S3, or “Vulnerable,” species in the state, it was decided to up list the

species to S2, or “Imperiled,” based on these factors. This yet-to-be officially recognized status only makes research and conservation efforts for the species in the state all the more important and time sensitive.

I paddle further upstream to where my telemetry work has shown Turtle 6’s homerange to end before turning around to track downstream. As I work my way toward a logjam, a massive entanglement of tree trunks, limbs, roots, and debris, including garbage, I hear a faint beep on my receiver. I move closer to the logjam, another beep. It’s one of my turtles for sure, but I can’t yet discern its location. I move the antenna in every possible way and pick up a stronger signal. Using my paddle, I work the kayak around the logjam trying to find the source of the signal. I find it. My worries are relieved as the audible sound of Specimen 6’s transmitter is relayed to my welcoming ears. He’s wedged himself along the bank, deep within the logjam’s armament.

Although well armored, snappers find quiet refuge in logjams, undercut banks, rocky enclaves, and the root masses of trees. These are the types of habitat features that it is most important to protect if snappers are to have long-term survival in the waterways in which they reside. Studies such as ours have shown that snappers occupy a relatively small home-range focused around these structures. Here in Buffalo Bayou, the primary conduit for water drainage in the 4th largest city in the United States, the riparian habitat and the waterway itself have been altered numerous times for flood control and recreational utilization. The 14.4 km section of the bayou I track includes a variety of natural and highly altered habitat types including Memorial Park, Buffalo Bayou Park, a private golf course, and mixed residential/ commercial property on both banks. While Memorial Park is in a relatively natural state, the residential and commercial properties and municipal parkland have a variety of mitigating structures to curtail bank erosion, including metal and concrete walls. With continued construction along the bayou, these structures are becoming more commonplace, limiting or destroying natural, preferred habitats, and potential nesting sites for this species.

After saying farewell to Turtle 6, I steer my kayak eastward, and continue downstream to look for the eight others. We have 10 turtles outfitted with radio-transmitters, a small fraction of the population we have discovered in these waters. The more evidence we can provide for a robust, self-sustaining population in this atypical habitat, the more we can hope to influence how this and other regional bayous are managed, for both humans and wildlife.

Making my way downstream, I head to a location that three of our turtles like to inhabit. This location is at the confluence of a feeder stream and the main bayou. Snappers like to inhabit these areas, which offer good opportunities to capture food, as the feeder streams bring a fresh influx of food particles that

Drowning due to ensnarement in fishing gear poses one of the greatest threats to Alligator Snapping Turtles in Buffalo Bayou and throughout their range. PHOTO CREDIT: VALERIA GLADKAYA

fish, a common prey item of the AST, feed upon. These three specimens can regularly be found in this location and often make their way up the feeder stream in search of prey. Our research, thus far, has shown that turtles making up this population appear to have more truncated movement and home-ranges when compared with other studies elsewhere in the species’ range. This confined movement could be due to limited available habitat present within the Bayou. Unlike typical habitat for this species that often contains floodplain wetlands, Buffalo Bayou and its limited feeder

tributaries comprise the only available habitat for the population within this atypical system. Due to the implementation of erosion control methods along the bayou, there is an apparent lack of feeder channels entering the main waterbody, which may restrict movements. Knowing that this segment of bayou has a robust population of snapping turtles, and with nearly a third of the turtles we track utilizing this confluence, it makes me wonder how many turtles actually lurk beneath?

After successfully locating the three animals,

I move on. Large cumulonimbus clouds are starting to form overhead and, in the distance, I can hear a soft murmur of thunder. Hopefully the weather forecast stays true and my “office environment” will not become a raging river before my work here is done for the day. Over the next two and a half hours I manage to locate 8 of the 10 specimens under study; their locations recorded and a comfort to me that they are doing well.

As I near my endpoint, I see TSA-NAFTRG Director Eric Munscher’s truck waiting atop the bank in the distance. I had called him about an hour ago to let him know my status and my estimated time of arrival at the pickup location. As I approach the pickup point, I see Eric waiting alongside the bank, ready to help me out. Although the work brings me joy, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment, a friendly helping hand after 4 hours in 95-degree heat is a welcome sight.

“Any luck?” he asks. “Eight out of ten,” I reply.

“Awesome. Not so bad,” he responds.

“I’ll get the other two next time,” I express with anticipation.

Acknowledgments: This work is made possible from funding by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Diversity Program Conservation License Plate Grants, and Hess Corporation. We would like to thank the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Hess Corporation, Memorial Park Conservancy, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Houston Police Department, Kelly Norrid, Christopher Maldonado, Arron Tuggle, Stephen Ross, Chris Drake, Brian Butterfield, Andrew Walde, Carl J. Franklin, Viviana Ricardez, Day Ligon, Denise Thompson, Jessica Munscher, Hailey Munscher, Tristan Munscher, and Aaron Dugas.

Contact: Jordan Gray, Turtle Survival Alliance, 1030 Jenkins Road, Suite D, Charleston, SC 29407, USA [jgray@ turtlesurvival.org]

The TSA-NAFTRG research team poses with 5 Alligator Snapping Turtles recorded during one morning of sampling. Thus far, our research team has recorded 75 unique individuals in this population. PHOTO CREDIT: HAILEY MUNSCHER

A large male Alligator Snapping Turtle lumbers back into the bayou after being outfitted with a radio transmitter. PHOTO CREDIT: VALERIA GLADKAYA

When the TSA began operation of the Turtle Survival Center (TSC) in 2013, we drafted collection and site development plans as a Master Plan. This plan included 32 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises, all being maintained as full populations, with upwards of 60-80 individuals of each species representing multiple generations. After more than five years of operation, it became clear that it was time to re-evaluate the collection plan based on the realities of current funding and resources, staffing, facilities development, species husbandry needs, species conservation status, and species availability.

With Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) certification obtained in 2018, the TSC is now better positioned to fully participate in cooperative Species Survival Plans (SSP). This allows the TSC to officially and more effectively share species population management with other AZA facilities, therefore reducing the total numbers that the TSC would need to manage at one location. This led to the revision of three types of management styles at the TSC: 1) full species population management, where there is no SSP and the entire program is conducted at the TSC (5 species chosen); 2) partial population management, where there is a SSP and the program is conducted in part at the TSC and in part with one or more partners (16 species chosen); and 3) non-assurance colony management, where species are kept in small numbers for educational, promotional, aesthetic, research, and other purposes (4 species chosen).

HUSBANDRY AND REPRODUCTION

In keeping with the TSC’s goal of being recognized as a world-class chelonian conservation center, the staff is consistently making improvements to husbandry and

A Year of Firsts

Cris Hagen, Nathan Haislip, Carol Alvarez, Clinton Doak, and John Greene

TSA partner Asian Turtle Program’s Thu Thuy Nguyen took part in the daily husbandry routine this August at the TSC. Here she holds one of her country’s native Vietnamese turtles, the Indochinese Box Turtle. PHOTO CREDIT: NATHAN HAISLIP

enclosures. After recording water quality parameters weekly for more than a year, it appears that TSC water chemistry is linked to some health issues seen in a variety of individuals. Thus, this past year a heavy focus was on water quality improvements. The pH of the well water at the TSC tends to be on the basic end of the spectrum, which can contribute to shell or skin ailments with certain aquatic species or individuals. Elevated pH and alkalinity was also documented in the re-circulating systems. To remedy this, we purchased a rainwater catchment cistern, effectively storing 3,000 gallons. This allowed us to convert re-circulating systems from a well water to rainwater system, and improving water chemistry. Automated water systems were also installed in many animal holding areas. These systems operate using irrigation timers, allowing automatically scheduled water changes. This does not completely replace manual water changes, but frees up valuable keeper time to focus on other important tasks.

In 2019, we completed a dedicated disinfection area, which includes two commercial dishwashers for the hundreds of dishes that require cleaning and disinfection after every feeding. As the center has grown, the demand for additional water and water pressure has increased. The piping that supplies water to hundreds of enclosures was replaced with larger diameter pipes to provide improved water flow. Additionally, work has begun on the next facility of the TSC, the Assurance Colony Expansion Facility. Although still in the fundraising stage of this capital improvement, land preparation has begun in anticipation of breaking ground on the facility as soon as additional funding is secured. This facility will increase the holding capacity for the next generation of turtles at the center, many of which are tropical species such as Rote Island Snakenecked Turtles (Chelodina mccordi), Southern Vietnam Box Turtles (Cuora picturata), Forsten’s Tortoises (Indotestudo forstenii),

and Sulawesi Forest Turtles (Leucocephalon yuwonoi).

Our husbandry improvements have been rewarded with it being another banner year for turtle reproduction. The TSC continues to be a world leader in Southern Vietnam Box Turtle propagation with another nine hatchlings produced in 2019 from four bloodlines. For the first time at the TSC we hatched Pan’s Box Turtles (Cuora pani), bringing the total number of Cuora species

successfully reproducing at the center to nine. The subspecies Southern Keeled Box Turtle (Cuora mouhotii obsti) was also a first for the TSC this year, and ten McCord’s Box Turtles (Cuora mccordi) hatched representing two bloodlines. We also hatched Rote Island Snake-necked Turtles for the first time at the TSC, with 13 hatchlings produced from two separate bloodlines. Sulawesi Forest Turtle egg production is up 88% from last year with 32 eggs. Four of

An Indochinese Box Turtle basks at the edge of the pool in its outdoor habitat. PHOTO CREDIT: NATHAN HAISLIP

these eggs have either already hatched or are developing as of this writing, representing distinct and unrepresented bloodlines in the global captive population. Lastly, after five years of egg laying, the only female Burmese Star Tortoise (Geochelone platynota) at the TSC has finally produced fertile eggs for the first time and the staff anxiously awaits their full development.

This past year has also been very productive for learning more about turtle medicine at the TSC; Dr. Shane Boylan and the veterinary staff at the South Carolina Aquarium have helped collect new data by way of CT scans and other procedures, providing muchneeded, and largely unknown information. Through the help of other scientists and veterinarians, we are able to diagnose problems and learn more medically about the turtles that we manage in our collection. The first

case study article from the TSC is in preparation and additional case study publications will follow. As leaders in captive chelonian management, it is important for TSC staff to continue to share knowledge gained with the greater turtle conservation community.

FUTURE PLANNING

The TSC has currently reached its maximum capacity with a fluctuating total population of 550 - 650 individuals, mostly due to annual hatchling recruitment and acquisitions. The focus of the next few years will be on fundraising for new facilities and additional staffing that will enable sustainable growth. As we look to expand our operations at home, TSC staff continues to assist with TSA’s global outreach, staying prepared with “push packs” that can be deployed on short notice to the ever-increasing number of turtle and tortoise confiscations

that we are called on to assist. One of the TSC staff’s most important contributions to the TSA global mission is to provide husbandry training to personnel from our range country programs, most of which have a captive component. Every year, either just before or after the TSA annual conference, we have come to expect an intensive two weeks of providing hands-on experience in techniques ranging from egg incubation to filtration design. To date TSC staff have hosted colleagues from Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Madagascar, all made possible by being able to offer accommodations at our on-site intern center.

Contact: Cris Hagen, Turtle Survival Alliance, 1030 Jenkins Road, Suite D, Charleston, SC 29407, USA [chagen@ turtlesurvival.org]

All three species of the Indochinese Box Turtle complex, Indochinese Box Turtle, Bourret’s Box Turtle, and Southern Vietnam Box Turtle hatched at the TSC this year. PHOTO CREDIT: CRIS HAGEN

2019 saw the hatching of five Pan’s Box Turtle, a critically endangered species from north-central China, and a first for the TSC. PHOTO CREDIT: CRIS HAGEN

The TSC continues to experience annual success hatching the Asian Spiny Turtle. PHOTO CREDIT: CRIS HAGEN

A Rote Island Snake-necked Turtle hatches from its egg. This year was the first year producing this critically endangered species at the TSC, with a total of 12 hatchlings. PHOTO CREDIT: CRIS HAGEN

This year marked the first successful breeding of the Southern Keeled Box Turtle at the TSC. PHOTO CREDIT: CRIS HAGEN

After years without reproductive success, the last two years have produced several Sulawesi Forest Turtle hatchlings, potentially due in part to acclimation time, frequency of breeding events, changes in their husbandry protocols, and habitat design. PHOTO CREDIT: CRIS HAGEN

A Bourret’s Box Turtle hatches from its egg, one of three produced this year.

PHOTO CREDIT: CRIS HAGEN

Dramatic Drop in Tortoise Confiscations in 2019 Leads to Cautious Optimism

Herilala Randriamahazo, Rick Hudson, Christel Griffioen, and Ny Aina Rakotoarisoa

For TSA in Madagascar, 2018 was a poaching crisis nightmare. An unprecedented 20,558 Radiated Tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) were seized from illegal trade, 16,500 of which came into the protection of TSA facilities. Mercifully, that disastrous year is safely in our rear-view mirror, but the memory is still a painful one. Still, we remain constantly vigilant and on edge that the “next big one” could be looming. From

an operational perspective, it is indeed surprising that with all these confiscations—burdening staff and distracting from normal program activities—we were able to make some very significant advancements in 2019. However, the TSA is still paying a heavy price for taking these tortoises in, in terms of staff salaries, feeding, and medical costs. TSA-Madagascar now employs 51 staff, mainly keepers and security guards,

and this program now manages the largest budget of all TSA field programs. The good news for 2019 is that tortoise confiscations are down—WAY down—to a low of 722 animals. To what do we attribute this remarkable turnaround? We are not precisely sure as there are likely various factors in play. Was 2018 an anomaly? We hope so, but are reminded to not become too complacent with this lull in activity.

In late afternoon, as the heat subsides, tortoises at the LTC become active again and can be seen out foraging. PHOTO CREDIT: RICK HUDSON

LAW ENFORCEMENT IS BECOMING SERIOUS BUSINESS

TSA’s law enforcement team and informant network, led by Sylvain Mahazotahy, has contributed to the arrest of numerous tortoise poachers and traffickers. All told, about one hundred of them to date, have been sent to jail in Ambovombe for a maximum period of two years. Despite this, tortoise poaching continues because high-ranking traffickers remain seemingly untouchable and operate with impunity. Sometimes these operations brazenly occur close to our Tortoise Conservation Center (TCC) near Tsihombe, hiring new poachers and dealers in villages to replace those in jail. It is high time that we target the big tortoise traffickers, a task that will require the deployment of large amounts of resources to support a complex strategy of law enforcement. In order to dismantle the network of traffickers, the strategy must engage all stakeholders including community volunteers, traditional leaders, and law enforcement officers (Gendarmes and Forestry officers) in the approach. In August, TSA-Madagascar Director Herilala Randriamahazo and a delegation from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), requested assistance from Interpol at the CITES COP 18 meetings in Geneva, Switzerland, to help address this situation. Meanwhile, Sylvain and his team play a “cat and mouse” game with poachers, trying to keep them off balance and on the run, hoping to avoid the massive stockpiling of tortoises that we saw in 2018.

The good news on this front is that the court of appeals in Toliara upheld the sentences that were handed down by the first trial of the landmark poaching case of over 10,000 Radiated Tortoises seized in 2018. The three defendants were given six-year prison sentences as well as a fine of 100 million Ariary ($28,000 US), and an order to pay the Ministry the same amount. Nonetheless, the Court of Cassation (final appeal) in

Heart of the TCC Destroyed by Fire By Rick

Hudson

On the morning of 26 September, a fire ripped through the central operations center of the Tortoise Conservation Center, leaving four senior staff homeless and without most of their belongings. Fortunately, no staff or tortoises were injured or lost in the fire, which burned hot and fast. In addition to living quarters and offices, the building, considered the epicenter of the TCC, also supported the solar array and distribution network that powered the Center and ensured that our security and communications systems functioned efficiently. The fire, believed to have been electrical in origin, started in an upstairs bedroom. Fortunately, the concrete block walls are still standing, but we will be able to salvage the first floor only. Construction is a lengthy process due to the rural location of the Center, and many building materials must be trucked in from the capital. Solar panels and battery storage capacity will be the most expensive aspect of rebuilding, but it is essential that we restore this system back online as quickly as possible. This is a tragic setback for the Center and is particularly hard on the four displaced staff members who are now temporarily living in the tortoise hospital or staff village. Our immediate goal is to restore a sense of normalcy to the TCC and ensure that they can continue their important work of caring for the ~9,000 tortoises that live here. Donations are already pouring in to help us rebuild, a direct reflection of community spirit embodied by the TSA. No matter what tragedy befalls us, we can always count on our members to get us through it.

Antananarivo is still ongoing, but we trust that the Department of Justice will pursue the same sentence as the first two courts. If successful, this case will be harshest sentence ever handed down for wildlife crimes and the first ever—given the scale of the seizure—prosecuted fairly for tortoise trafficking in Madagascar!

A NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR TSA MADAGASCAR

Our Antananarivo-based staff and associated tortoise, veterinary, and quarantine facilities are getting a new home! Based at the family residence of Herilala Randriamahazo for the last 5 years, operations at our Madagascar headquarters here were experiencing growing pains. With an increasing number of staff, and with limited tortoise holding capacity, it was time to find a new base of operations. With generous support from TSA Board member Tim Gregory, we found a suitable house and compound in late 2018 and began negotiations to purchase the property (really a 99-year lease). The property is 1,911 sq. meters (20,570 sq. ft.), with a large two-story house that will provide ample office space as well as a vet-

erinary clinic and lab. We are converting an on-property warehouse to a tortoise hospital and quarantine facility that can be warmed in winter; spacious yards with mature shade trees will be transformed into tortoise habitats. There is a 12-foot high security fence

and we have just hired the G4S security firm to guard the property 24/7. Funds for renovating and upgrading the facilities have been provided by another donor.

TORTOISE REINTRODUCTIONS PLANNED FOR 2020

With the TSA now caring for ~25,000 Radiated Tortoises, a situation that is financially demanding, our goal is to begin reintroductions in 2020. Preparations got underway in February - March 2019 with Josh Lucas (Oklahoma City Zoo and Central Oklahoma University MS student) spending 50 days in the field surveying nine potential communities to determine their suitability as tortoise release sites. A scorecard is used that allows a systematic assessment by ranking factors such as habitat quality, presence or absence of healthy tortoise populations, proximity to towns and roads, land use practices, past poaching activity, and most importantly, the attitudes of the local communities. Using these rankings, combined with extensive interviews with local villagers, two sites were

Tortoises at the LTC find respite from the mid-day heat under shelters, many man-made. Here tortoises retreat to the cool shade provided by an ancient tree with a strangler fig. PHOTO CREDIT: RICK HUDSON

The new headquarters for TSA Madagascar is anchored by this two-story house that will provide office space for staff. The entire compound is over 20,000 sq. ft. and will feature a veterinary clinic, quarantine and warm winter quarters, and spacious outdoor tortoise habitats. PHOTO CREDIT: RICK HUDSON

selected to receive tortoises. Both have good habitat, are remote from heavily traveled roads, have depleted tortoise populations that need supplementation, and have supportive communities. Josh worked through TSA-Madagascar Community Outreach Coordinator, Rampanarivo Monja, who is from the area and familiar with Antandroy tribal customs, traditions, and the seemingly complex decision-making processes. Being an elder he is well received and quick to gain respect from village leaders, thus able to determine if the information being received is credible. We now understand why their tortoise populations are depleted,

and why they want to see tortoises returned. Of course, they see benefit in working with us as a means to improve their communities. One village wants a new primary school, the other seeks help with the legal process of declaring their forests as community protected areas. With the support of the Dallas Zoo we now have funding committed to build new schools in two communities as a means of improving our network of protected tortoise areas.

The next step will be to identify 1,000 tortoises of suitable release size– 500 for each site–and isolate them at the Tortoise Conser-

vation Center (TCC) in a separate enclosure. Health screening exams will take place in early 2020 with the St. Louis Zoo/Institute for Conservation Medicine and Wildlife Conservation Society coordinating that process. Once cleared for release, we plan to move tortoises to the two communities and establish them in pre-release enclosures for a soft release 12 months later, likely at the onset of the rainy season when vegetation is available for grazing. Brett Bartek will coordinate this process. Based on previous studies, we know that a soft release process works to instill site fidelity in tortoises, allowing them time to acclimate to the habitat before they are released.

The LTC employs 21 employees, mainly keepers and security guards. Here staff is shown with their new work shirts, the artwork courtesy of Matt Patterson. PHOTO CREDIT: RICK HUDSON

As a supplement to our reintroduction plan, we are also working with the owners of the Berenty Reserve, a famous tourist destination for watching lemurs. The land here is well protected and managed by the De Heaulme family who is very committed to tortoise and wildlife conservation. They want to help TSA with the poaching crisis and have agreed to fence a 7-hectare parcel of restored forest, where tortoises can “free-range” in a semi- natural protected area. We envision being able to move a significant number of juvenile tortoises here for long-term growth in a safe sanctuary. Natural populations of Radiated Tortoises were once found around Berenty, but they

disappeared long ago; however, Southern Spider Tortoises (Pyxis a. oblonga) are still found here.

TORTOISE CONSERVATION CENTERS UNDER PRESSURE

Though the TSA manages six facilities in the south, four are small and designed for short-term holding. Our two large centers, the TCC near Tsihombe, in the central core of the Radiated Tortoise range, and the Lavavolo Tortoise Center (LTC) on the southwest coast near Itampolo, are bearing the burden of the mammoth confiscations of 2018. Together, they care for 24,500 tortoises with a combined staff of 42 keepers,

security guards, drivers, and managers. Despite the challenges associated with caring for so many tortoises, significant advancements continue to be made.

Water availability is a constant concern at both centers and actions were taken to improve this situation. At the TCC, improvements to the main water storage basin have paid off tremendously when, for ten consecutive months, our water supply was interrupted because of a pump failure further down the line. The increased storage capacity allowed us to truck in drinking water to provide for our employees, their families, and tortoises under our care. To further improve our water catchment and

The new Ploughshare Tortoise facility at the TCC has special security features to protect our group of young tortoises. PHOTO CREDIT: CHRISTEL GRIFFIOEN

storage capacity we are completing a 9m3 cistern behind our vet clinic, collecting precious rainwater from the roof of the building during the short rainy season. A high capacity cistern is also located at the Community Outreach Center (COC) that is available for community use. Unlike the TCC, the LTC is not connected to a permanent fresh water source. This means that water must be collected from a nearby well and transported by ox cart daily. Not only is this time consuming and costly, but priority access to the limited water source is given to the local community. To improve our fresh water accessibility, we are currently digging a well on site which will transform the efficiency and productivity of operations. A water tower to facilitate distribution of water to the various enclosures is planned soon.

As one might imagine, sourcing enough forage to feed over 24,000 tortoises continues to be a challenge at both centers, particularly in the dry season. In total, 11,000 kg (24,250 lbs.) per month is required, and we depend heavily on local communities to provide a variety of greens, pumpkin, and cactus pads and fruit. This activity provides a reliable source of income to nearby villagers and at the LTC, some people walk up to 20 km (12 mi) one way to supply our needs. At the LTC we are putting in vegetable gardens to reduce those costs, but similar efforts at the TCC are being thwarted by a group of pesky ringtailed lemurs.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

Staff at the TCC have been busy with construction projects in 2019, including an ultra-secure Ploughshare Tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora) facility designed to safely accommodate our group of young animals housed in Antananarivo. To provide the power required for the high-tech security system, our solar capacity had to be expanded. This expansion of solar power also now allows us to run a refrigerator to store temperature sensitive medication better and

improve the living comfort for senior staff. With security ranking high amongst our list of concerns, we also improved the perimeter fence surrounding the 12-ha core TCC area, with a new design that is sturdier and more predator resistant than the old fence.

Since opening the TCC in 2016, the number of tortoises has increased significantly to +9,000 tortoises. This increase requires a uniform increase in food preparation and storage space. We extended the kitchen where the tortoise diets are prepared so they can be stored in a more hygienic way. We further extended our tortoise enclosures to accom-

modate new arrivals and the old enclosures have been upgraded by replacing deteriorating wood barriers dividing the various areas with more durable sheet metal. We also built a double unit dwelling (two rooms) at our staff village which is the first of a planned 12 room expansion that will improve living conditions for our staff and their families. Similarly, at the LTC we began improving the working and living conditions for staff, and so far ten employees have been provided with on-site housing similar to that built at the TCC. New office space and solar power have also been installed to provide electricity.

Keepers at TSA’s facility in Antananarivo, José and Safidy, with a huge female Radiated Tortoise that weighs over 50 lbs. PHOTO CREDIT: RICK HUDSON

However, of all new initiatives at the LTC, the canteen where daily lunch is served provides the greatest satisfaction to employees. This translates to a significantly noticeable increase in motivation to perform daily tasks.

At the TCC, after more than a year of construction, Phase I of the COC is complete, including a water catchment basin, pavilion, and picnic and meeting area with firepit and kitchen. Fencing for a vegetable garden, botanical garden, and small tortoise enclosure

have also been erected. The COC is located just outside the TCC core area and will, once completed, provide a location for the local community to host events. Furthermore, it will provide the TSA with a location for which to engage the four local communities that provided the center’s land, and together make up the Ala Mahavelo Association, in education and outreach events. The COC was funded entirely by Utah’s Hogle Zoo, and with funds for Phase II and III secured, will soon offer comfortable accommodations to visiting

guests, donors, scientists, and students alike.

SECURITY

Last year’s surge in poaching activity produced a heightened sense of awareness and security concerns at both centers. To further improve the skills of our security guards and better prepare them to deal with potential threats, instructors from a leading global security group, G4S, travelled to both the LTC and TCC in November 2018 for three days of intensive training in the guards’ work environment. This training was a follow up to training received in July 2018.

Acknowledgments: For their generosity in 2019 we are grateful to the following ($500 and up) supporters: Tim Gregory, Knoxville Zoo, Hogle Zoo, Cincinnati AAZK, Dallas Zoo, Aktionsgemeinschaft Artenschutz (AGA) e.V, AZA Conservation Grant Fund, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Roy Young/Nature’s Own, Howard Johnston, Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Greensboro Science Center, Oklahoma City Zoo, Minnesota Zoo - U.S. Seal Conservation Fund, Los Angeles Zoo, Jay and Jane Allen, Milwaukee County Zoo, Owen Griffiths/ Francoise Leguat Ltd, Sparsholt College, Ocean Wise Conservation Association, Perth Zoo, Barbara Brewster Bonner Charitable Fund, Topeka Zoo, Rotterdam Zoo, British Chelonia Group, Matt Patterson and the Turtle Conservation Fund. We graciously acknowledge the AZA SAFE program for helping to elevate the profile and sense of urgency being faced by our Madagascar program. We gratefully recognize and appreciate the ongoing collaboration with the Malagasy Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and Air Madagascar for their continued assistance. Finally, the TSA wants to extend our sincerest gratitude to Herilala’s family for opening their family compound as a base of operations for this program, and all the inconvenience and loss of privacy that this entailed.

Contact: Rick Hudson, Turtle Survival Alliance, 1030 Jenkins Rd. Ste. D, Charleston, SC 29407 [rhudson@turtlesurvival.org]

Herilala and Claire Foulon discuss areas with suitable habitat that can be fenced to raise juvenile confiscated tortoises in a safe sanctuary environment at the Berenty Reserve. PHOTO CREDIT: RICK HUDSON

LTC keepers receive training on providing the proper size food for the various size classes of tortoises under their care. PHOTO CREDIT: RICK HUDSON

First Steps to Reintroduction

Doris Preininger, Anton Weissenbacher, Rupali Ghosh, Shannon DiRuzzo, and Peter Praschag

A black head lurks under its shell as I look into the blue drum I’m carrying from the boat. A myriad of thoughts run through my head: “Finally you can go back to the wild…fingers crossed you will find food… maybe you will even find a mate…please let the satellite transmitter stick.”

“What if it falls off or stops sending signals?”

The time had come. On October 2, 2018, we released the first five male Northern River Terrapins (Batagur baska). Quickly, they paddled down the muddy shore, and off they went into a small channel within Bangladesh´s Sundarbans.

The Sundarbans, an immense mangrove forest spanning approximately 10,000 km2 (4,000 mi2) from India to Bangladesh, is home to the Northern River Terrapin. Not even 100 years ago, one could encounter high densities of this species basking along mangrove belts, and river and estuarine shorelines. Harvesting and habitat destruction have decimated populations to an extent that the species can be considered ecologically extinct, and today, it ranks in the top 5 most endangered freshwater turtles.

The extant population of terrapins is assumed to be extremely small. To secure the terrapins’ survival, we started the cooperative Batagur project in 2010, and established two conservation stations with individuals found in private ponds in Bangladesh. Successful breeding and head-starting more than 200 individuals in the past several years has allowed us to now consider reintroduction to the wild. However, we know little about preferred habitats, migration routes, and breeding locations. That´s why we equipped five males with satellite transmitters, released them before their breeding season, and tracked their movements.

By the end of November, we had lost two males that died in fishing nets. Another male traveled continuously west over the Indian border but, when he reached urban areas, his signal was lost. Extensive fishing in the area remains one of the greatest threats for the species. A multitude of nets for Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) fishing cover the rivers, and small fishing boats in rural areas catch all types of aquatic animals for personal consumption and to sell to markets.

In January 2019, transmission was turned off. The Forest Department seized one male from a local market, and the remaining male was returned to us by a fisherman. Fortunately, they were in surprisingly good health, and both had gained weight. During their fourmonth journey, they were able to find enough food to thrive. Conclusive investigations on habitat use are difficult to achieve. Release-

monitoring remains our only possibility for a well-founded reintroduction, and we are making plans to give it another shot.

Acknowledgments: We are grateful to our local partners the Prokriti O Jibon Foundation and the Bangladesh Forest Department. We thank our funders Österreichische Zoo Organisation (OZO), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde (DGHT), Zoologische Gesellschaft für Arten- und Populationsschutz (ZGAP), European Union of Aquarium Curators (EUAC), and Turtle Conservation Fund (TCF) for their support.

Contact: Doris Preininger and Anton Weissenbacher, Vienna Zoo, Maxingstraße 13b, 1130, Vienna, Austria [d.preininger@zoovienna.at; a.weissenbacher@zoovienna]

A male Northern River Terrapin displays the satellite transmitter that will provide information critical to understanding their movements and habitat utilization in the Sundarbans. PHOTO CREDIT: ANTON WEISSENBACHER

Re-Wilding Chittagong: Creative Conservation in the Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

Scott Trageser

When describing many aspects of life in Bangladesh the term “wild” can be an understatement, yet there is one aspect of life that could stand to be made significantly more wild. We know of 31 species that are officially recognized as having gone extinct in Bangladesh according to the IUCN. We also know several others are following suit - edging ever closer to the sad eventuality of extirpation (regional extinction) with seemingly prophetic efficiency. For most of recorded history, three species of rhino happily carved out their existences in this small country alongside the

likes of mugger crocodiles and Asian Black Giant Tortoises (Manouria emys phayrei), all who grumbled to each other in their famously cheeky ways throughout the eastern forests. Fast forward to 2019 and the rhinos have been extinct for 100 years or more and the remaining populations of tortoises, and several other species, have been cut down to only a handful of individuals. There may not be much hope for rhinos once again wallowing in the cool mud of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the near future, but there is renewed hope for some of Bangladesh’s less transient fauna.

We, the Creative Conservation Alliance (CCA), announced our collaborative vision to rewild Bangladesh during our July photo exhibition cum press conference. The term “rewild” is relatively novel for the region, typically being applied within the context of the Global North, which has been experiencing similar extirpations for centuries. Our plans do not involve bringing back mammoths, but in my eyes, what we are doing is just as exciting. For three years, we have housed and pampered what are effectively the last Asian Black Giant Tortoises in the

One of the temple council “Kadems” releasing a hatchling Black Softshell Turtle back into the temple pond. PHOTO CREDIT: SCOTT TRAGESER/NATURESTILLS LLC

country. We built them an enclosure fit for turtle royalty and catered to their every whim – efforts which were finally rewarded for this past summer with the hatching of 48 beautiful little brown nuggets of hope. We will release the precocious progeny into a secure patch of forest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, which we have helped an indigenous community to protect. This was the “win” our team needed. It was a win made possible through the tireless efforts of our staff, like Fahim Zaman, expert advice from members of the Turtle Survival Alliance, the gracious patience of the Bangladesh Forest Department, and two of the most lustful tortoises I have ever encountered. There’s a reason why our first male tortoise is named Casanova.

Only two weeks had passed since the excitement of the tortoise hatching, and we had reason to celebrate once again—we received news that our other rewilding breeding program had also seen its first success. The Black Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) is deemed Extinct in the Wild by IUCN, yet hundreds can be found in a small temple pond located in the heart of Chittagong city. Attempts have been made in the past to repatriate some of these individuals into the wild, but all were rejected by the temple’s governing council. Years of overpopulation, polluted water, poor quality nesting grounds, and introduced predatory fish have taken a toll on the aging population of turtles. With no recruitment of young animals anymore, it’s only a matter of time until this species blinks out from these waters as well. With help from visiting USC professor Craig Stanford, a preeminent turtle biologist, the shrine allowed us one chance to prove our techniques could improve hatching success. Mind you, we were not just dealing with turtles here. These particular turtles are believed to be the followers of a Muslim prophet named Hazrat Bayazid Bastami. It is believed that they betrayed their prophet and were cursed to spend the rest of eternity as turtles confined to the sacred waters of this temple. I personally would not mind living out a casual life as a giant fresh-

water turtle, free from anxiety-inducing politics and looming existential crises but, I guess for some, it’s not as appealing. Though members of the shrine council may not have been confident about our methodology, we were and, in the end, thirty-six of the fifty eggs hatched and released back into the pond. The squee factor of these hatchlings cannot be overstated, but it’s the trust gained from the pilot project that was the real takeaway for us. We can now scale up the project to hatch 1,000+ Black Softshell Turtles every year and, with a little luck, some of these will once again freely live out their lives in their native Brahamputra waters in the coming years.

Acknowledgments: Many hands weave the thread of fate for these species and it is up to us to guide those hands. Without the support from organizations like TSA, Future for Nature, Whitley Fund for Nature, and the Turtle Conservation Fund, these unlikely success stories would not have been possible. With continued support from people like you we can write the next chapter of these stories and begin rewilding Bangladesh together.

Contact: Scott Trageser, Creative Conservation Alliance, Avenue 3, Road 13 A, House 925, Mirpur DOHS, Dhaka, Bangladesh [trageser.scott@gmail.com]

One of 36 precious Black Softshell Turtles hatched in 2019. PHOTO CREDIT: SCOTT TRAGESER/NATURESTILLS LLC

A handsome hatchling Asian Black Giant Tortoise. PHOTO CREDIT: SCOTT TRAGESER/NATURESTILLS LLC

Search Intensifies to Locate new Painted Terrapin Nesting Beaches

Joko Guntoro

It’s the 1st of February, it’s time to go, 20:00. Yusriono, Anshari, Wira, Anto, and I board a wooden motor boat to the beach where Painted Terrapins (Batagur borneoensis) are known to lay their eggs. Tonight, we begin intensive nest patrols for this critically endangered species in the Karang Gading Langkat Timur Laut Wildlife Reserve, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra, Indo-

nesia. Clear skies make us optimistic that tonight’s patrols will bring results, although information from villagers indicates that finding nests in this area is rare.

Here in the Langkat Regency, there are two beaches that Painted Terrapins emerge from the waters of the Malacca Strait and deposit their eggs on: Beting Tuntong and Sarang

Elang. Tonight we will survey Sarang Elang before departing for Beti Tuntong, approximately half-hour away by boat. With a low hum, the small watercraft motors away from the shore of Tapak Kuda, one of only two villages in this region accessible by land transportation. Our headlamps provide the only source of light on the river as the boat’s engine breaks the silence of the dense mangrove

A female Painted Terrapin is discovered during a nesting survey in Aceh Tamiang. PHOTO CREDIT: JOKO GUNTORO

forests hugging the estuary. Tonight, easterly winds create heavy surf, making for a bumpy ride, but not enough to make the one and a half hour trip to Sarang Elang treacherous. It’s high tide when we arrive at Sarang Elang around 21:30. Patrols are scheduled during nocturnal high tides, conditions in which females typically emerge from the water to deposit their eggs. We moor our boat to a bush about 100 meters from the section of beach where turtles are said to nest. With high hopes and the bright light of our headlamps, we illuminate this narrow stretch of beach roughly 400 meters in length. This first patrol yields no traces of a female visiting the beach yet tonight. Evidence of a female terrapin having recently nested here is found in the form of dried eggshells scattered atop the sand. Pigs or a monitor lizard most likely depredated this nest. We find a camouflaged location, turn off our headlamps, and patiently wait along the beach’s edge. Perhaps a female will emerge under the cloak of darkness. A half hour goes by with no sign of a turtle emerging from the surf. We turn our headlamps back on and resume a transect of the beachfront. No turtles.

Stepping back into the boat, we set our sights on Beting Tuntong. As the tide subsides, the surf has quieted down a bit, and the boat lightly jockeys over wave crests. With less resistance we arrive at Beting Tuntong after only 20 minutes. Here too, we moor our boat out of sight of any female turtles wary of marauding predators as they

nest. Using our headlamps, we walk looking for small footprints that may lead us to a nesting female, or perhaps a completed nest, obscured from detection if not for the telltale quadrupedal tracks directed toward the surf. A thorough scanning of the sand again yields only dried eggshells, a signature of predators who also patrol these beaches. On this beach, however, eggshells are found in three separate locations; perhaps signifying that three unique females have recently used this beach to nest.

Low-tide is near, the surf now several meters below the high-tide mark, and with its recession the possibility of females emerging to nest upon the beach is minute. Still, as slim as the chances of finding a turtle are, we canvas the beach one more time and find a location to hide out of sight, hoping for a turtle to rise from the water. After an hour of observation, we concede that no turtles will nest tonight. Quietly, we return to the motor boat and set off for Tapak Kuda. It’s now 02:00. Although tonight’s six-hour search resulted in no turtles seen or nests successfully excavated, the eggshells found on both beaches gives us continued hope. Turtles do nest here. Still,

Joko Guntoro and his team depart Tapak Kuda to perform nocturnal nest patrols for Painted Terrapins on the beaches of Sarang Elang and Beting Tuntong. PHOTO CREDIT: JOKO GUNTORO

A female Painted Terrapin is discovered during a nesting survey in Aceh Tamiang. PHOTO CREDIT: JOKO GUNTORO

Anto, Anshari, and Wira are disappointed. This was their first nest patrol in Langkat. For Yusriono and I, this is what we have come to expect in this regency. Turtles are scarce, yet the need for their protection high. If we do not do everything in our power to protect the few remaining female Painted Terrapins and their nests, the species may vanish here.

Patrols of Sarang Elang and Beting Tuntong continued for another month after February’s commencement. Countless hours of boat rides, beach transects, and crouching in silence yielded two nests totalling 15 eggs. For Anto, a fisherman by trade, this “capture effort” is new and perplexing. “This is a strange and crazy job,” he says. “Nights spent going to the beach by boat, in the dark, using only a headlamp, and returning without result.” While I appreciate this sentiment, the 15 eggs collected from the two beaches signify the beginning stages for a successful recovery program in the regency like we have in Aceh Tamiang. The eggs were translocated into a secure hatchery in Tapak Kuda. Of these, 12 hatched in early May. To give the young turtles a better chance at survival, they are being head started at The Wildlife Reserve in Langkat. They will be released in Spring of 2020 in

the estuary encompassing their mothers’ native territory.

North of Langkat, in Aceh Tamiang, home regency of the Satucita Foundation and our program for Painted Terrapins there, we saw another fruitful nesting season. Here, extensive patrols yielded thirty-six nests from which we incubated 551 eggs. Hatching success was relatively high, with 420 hatchlings successfully released into their natal estuary. Since 2011, we have released more than 2,300 hatchlings into the wild, products of our nest patrols.

Although we have not been able to quantify a post-release survival rate for hatchlings in Aceh Tamiang, visual observations and incidental capture by fishermen suggest that hatchling and head started juveniles are surviving in the area. Both age classes are commonly seen basking on mangrove roots along the river’s edge. In an attempt to identify these individuals, we have tried photographing the basking turtles to capture the unique code marked into their carapace’s marginal scutes. However, photographs have only been able to capture one side of the turtle before they scurry off their basking sites and into the turbid water below. To date, incidental capture by fishermen has provided return data on twenty-

three hatchlings. Scanning these individuals for their Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag has allowed us to identify unique specimens and the year in which they were released. Based on findings from these tags, the oldest age recorded was that of a 3-yearold from a cohort released in 2016.

As our programs to restore populations of Painted Terrapin in Aceh Tamiang and Langkat grow, so too does our need to educate the citizens of Sumatra on this endangered species. Now in its second year, the Painted Terrapin Information Centre in Pusung Kapal, Aceh Tamiang, continues to see increased attendance by school and scout groups. Concurrent to the education we are providing at this facility, and based off information seeking we performed in Tangkahan and Lubuk Kertang in 2018, we have initiated an ecotourism enterprise focused on the biodiversity of the coastal mangrove forests. It’s our hope that through ecotourism, we will empower local communities to utilize Sumatra’s natural resources in a sustainable manner, while providing an opportunity to view the Painted Terrapin as an iconic species of the region; one worth preserving. Meanwhile, we will continue to jockey the waves from Tapak Kuda to its outlying beaches in search of those few scant nests that will become the lifeblood for our infant program in Langkat. We hope nights like that of February 1st will contain less disappointment, and more exhilaration as female terrapins rise from the surf, marking a new beginning for the Painted Terrapin in North Sumatra.

Acknowledgments: Turtle Survival Alliance, Houston Zoo, BBKSDA Sumatera Utara Conservation Section 2 Stabat, BKSDA Aceh, District Government of Aceh Tamiang, Pertamina EP Field Rantau.

Contact: Joko Guntoro, Yayasan SatuCita Lestari Indonesia, Dusun Mawar, Bukit Rata, Kejuruan Muda, Aceh Tamiang, 24477 [jokoguntoro@gmail.com]

On February 17th, the first hatchling Painted Terrapins of the year made their way out of the sand in the hatchery at the Satucita Foundation. PHOTO CREDIT: JOKO GUNTORO

INDONESIA — SULAWESI

Radio-Tracking the Sulawesi Forest Turtle

I wasn’t sure what to expect on the first night searching for the Sulawesi Forest Turtle (Leucocephalon yuwonoi) in its native habitat. An inhabitant of tropical montane streams and the riparian corridors in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia, this turtle prefers to spend it’s nights in streambeds. As such, nocturnal forays into the field are often a successful, but not guaranteed, way to find this species.

Thirty minutes into the stream walk, our local guide spotted a large male perched on the edge of the clear, shallow, flowing stream; its yellow head illuminated brightly in the light of my head lamp. He would become the first of this Critically Endangered turtle to be studied in my radio telemetry project. Within two weeks we located twenty adults, exhibiting an even gender ratio, a field researcher’s dream. Even more amazing was the ease of finding these turtles. I was fortunate to observe what appeared to be a healthy population in this stream system.

Located within Wallacea, a region composed

primarily of Indonesian islands, Sulawesi is home to a high proportion of endemic species. Before traveling to the island, I familiarized myself with the deforestation that is occurring throughout Indonesia, threatening its incredibly unique biodiversity, such as the endemic Sulawesi Forest Turtle.

Considering how little we know about Leucocephalon, I was determined to get some good ecological data on the species that would hopefully assist with effective conservation management. I affixed radio-transmitters to twenty adults, and tracked them six days a week for four months. I could sense my brain turning part turtle, as I gained a grasp of all their behavioral traits, and began to understand what refugia they seem to like. I realized on my daily treks in the high heat and humidity that I have never sweat so much in my life! I found the waterproof surveying paper was not just for rain, it was also to accommodate my dripping sweat as I wrote.

Fieldwork could not have been achieved without my amazing field team. My research assistant, Fatmah, a young, enthusiastic gradu-

ate, and our guide, Warimin, previously a local turtle collector now turned conservationist. Understanding the Sulawesi Forest Turtle doesn’t stop with my radio telemetry study. On my last visit to Tadulako University, with collaborators Dr. Fadly Tantu and Dr. Jusri Nilawati, I was excited to hear that three of their Masters students are conducting further studies on the species. Combined with TSA’s ex situ efforts, I’m thrilled to know the ecological void of understanding of the Sulawesi Forest Turtle has a wonderful, diverse team filling in the gaps.

Acknowledgments: This project would not have been possible without the dedication of Christine Light and Andrea Currylow for getting it started. Funding was provided by an anonymous donor, California Turtle and Tortoise Club, Columbus Zoo, Mohammed Bin Zayed Conservation Fund, Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Riverbanks Zoo, and Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

Contact: Angela Simms, Macquarie University, Balaclava Rd, North Ryde, NSW, Australia 2109. [angela.simms@students. mq.edu.au]

Angela Simms

Research assistant Fatmah Lauhido (right) of Tadulako University and Angela Simms hold a male Sulawesi Forest Turtle prior to its release following his processing. PHOTO CREDIT: WARIMIN WATI

A male Sulawesi Forest Turtle is encountered resting in a stream during one of the team’s nocturnal surveys for the species. PHOTO CREDIT: ANGELA SIMMS

Progress Continues Amidst Ongoing Perils

On a chilly evening in early January, Dr. Ashish Singh, lead veterinarian with the Indian Turtle Conservation Program, was getting ready to close the LAB (Laboratory for Aquatic Biology) and head home after a rather uneventful day at the Kukrail Centre. Just before exiting, the phone rang. On the other line was Mr. O.P. Singh; Chief Conservator of Forests in the Western Circle, Kanpur, with news that was going to turn into one of Dr. Ashish and his team’s longest nights of the new year: 25 gunny sacks full of nearly 2,000 illegally trafficked turtles had just been dumped into a village pond to avoid

confiscation by enforcement authorities.

Springing into action, Ashish relayed the message to the Turtle Program’s main office, with word spreading across the city to other project members. Medical equipment, carry crates, overnight bags, and emergency snacks were packed, and within half an hour, the entire rescue mobile unit was speeding down the highway towards Etawah, a small dusty town along the Chambal River.

Four hours later, the team arrived to a harrowing sight. Piles of emaciated Indian flapshell turtles were littered all around the edge

of the pond while some workers were unceremoniously tipping over more. Worse still were the gunny sacks that remained, floating on the water’s surface, squirming violently in the darkness as the animals inside battled each other for a sliver of air. Mr. Singh briefed the team that sacks containing nearly 2,000 turtles had been dumped into a village pond whilst traffickers absconded during a police raid. With the help of forest staff, the team quickly began segregating individuals according to severity of injury, ranging from simple stress to lacerated limbs and mandibles from fishing lines, cracked carapaces,

Shailendra Singh, Rishika Dubla, Arunima Singh, Bhasker Dixit and J. Daren Riedle

These juvenile Asian Black Giant Tortoises were hatched in 2018 at the Nagaland Zoological Park in Dimapur. After addressing husbandry issues in 2018, 78 hatchings were produced in 2019. PHOTO CREDIT: SHAILENDRA SINGH

puncture wounds displaying internal organs, prolapsed cloacas, and in some cases, dehydration so severe that the entire skin has peeled back from the shell. With temperatures as low as 44°F (7°C), the team worked through the night to ensure that every single animal had been treated.

Yet this was no exceptional case. Regularly, consignments of illegally trafficked turtles or tortoises number in the hundreds to thousands. Initially called upon to provide

husbandry and triage, the turtle project team later became more deeply involved with the Special Task Force; a special branch of the Uttar Pradesh Police Department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau of India. Recovering any wild species in a human dominated landscape, where major populations are impoverished, is often challenging. Understanding that trade is a tiered issue, the team began to work with some of the poorest riparian communities, conducting awareness programs, poacher conversion

workshops, and informal stakeholder meetings. Eventually establishing a network of covert informants, the project expanded to include frontline staff training for more effective identification, triage, and prosecution. The program has rehabilitated over 24,000 confiscated animals between 2017 and 2019, and was recognized by CITES for its efforts in 2018.

Southeast Asia is recognized as the second most diverse eco-region in the world (after North America) in terms of freshwater turtles and tortoises. Yet, it is facing one of the biggest illegal trade crises of the 21st century. With the Gangetic Flood Plains abundant in species and in close proximity to porous international borders, turtles and tortoises are hemorrhaging out of the country into meat, pet, and traditional medicine markets. Trade is particularly intense in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, creating a ‘trade arc’ adjacent to the Nepal and Bangladesh borders. Despite all challenges, TSA/ WCS India Turtle Conservation Program has been sustaining a range of conservation projects across the North Indian Landscape. This year alone, we trained over 300 frontline staff members, and via donations, provided them with sturdy winter jackets to enable better monitoring during peak trafficking periods in the colder months of the year.

The Chambal is a nearly 800 km river that serves as a boundary between the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, bifurcating across an arid landscape of low lying hills and steep ravines. Cursed, according to ancient Hindu scriptures, and likened to the Sherwood Forests of Robin Hood lore, these infamous ravines served as the badlands for gangs of dacoits and bandits. This isolation, lasting centuries, created an ecological utopia for a plethora of animals. However, with the arrest of the Bandit Queen Phoolan Devi; the last remaining outlaw in the late 80’s, the river lost its last line of protection, inadvertently provided by these gangs.

As trade in softshell turtles, especially flapshells, has escalated in recent years, so too has law enforcement activities to thwart this illegal activity. Between 2017 and 2019, our TSA-India program has helped rehabilítate of over 24,000 confiscated turtles. PHOTO CREDIT: UTTAR PRADESH FOREST DEPARTMENT

Coupled with an increased demand for turtle products due to the burgeoning Asian Turtle Crisis, opportunists quickly realized the untapped potential of freshwater chelonians from this river. Though the majority of the Chambal is protected by hardworking forest staff, trade from the Chambal River increased for soft-shell turtles and recently, the Red Crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga); a Critically Endangered species found nowhere else in the world. The team has been engaged in the recovery of endangered Batagur species in this area since 2006 through an array of conservation activities.

The Terai Arc Landscape project, focusing on riparian communities, is the region that harbors the highest numbers of turtle poachers, as most of the area is unprotected. Traditional fishing practices helped finetune turtle tracking skills over generations, with acute poverty exacerbating poaching pressure. The Terai project therefore began to focus on these marginalized communities, aiming to save dwindling turtle populations by inspiring a sense of ecological pride among fishing societies. Simultaneously, to monitor population trends affected by poaching, the project also implemented

a long term mark recapture study in this largely unprotected area.

Awareness programs too have begun to show significant progress. Special “buy-back” workshops held for fishermen permitted to hunt within the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and riparian communities based around the Kaziranga National Park have already led the team to confirm the sightings of wild Northern River Terrapins (Batagur baska) and viable populations of Black Softshell Turtles (Nilssonia nigricans), respectively; both of which were previously thought to be extinct in the wild. With populations decimated via consumption based poaching, awareness programs not only help identify remnant wild populations, but also build a sense of pride amongst communities, once they understand the significance of these charismatic species. The awareness project helped in the discovery of a new species of tortoise for India; the Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa) in Arunachal Pradesh. However, the most satisfying moment for the team came two months later, when a third individual was discovered when handed over to the Forest Department by a hunter; a direct result of intensive media coverage facilitated by the team, sparking national and international attention. Encour-

A wild juvenile Black Softshell Turtle is measured by field researcher Gaurav Barhodiya during surveys on the Brahmaputra River. As this species was previously listed as extinct in the wild, field surveys are vital to locate functioning wild populations. PHOTO

CREDIT: KRISHNA DAS

aged by the discovery and influenced by the positive publicity, a specially expedited permit has been granted by the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department to radio tag the individuals and release them back near the precise location of capture into the montane forests in the hopes of yielding information on their natural history and leading the team to additional individuals.

Though communities are always the main focus, conservation breeding programs serve to be a vital lifeline for many species teetering on the brink of extinction. Since 2006, TSA India has released over 100,000 hatchlings of the threatened Batagurs (B. kachuga and B. dhongoka). The program’s commitment to River Terrapins extends to three species, and starting with a founding population of only 13 individuals, TSA India now holds the largest captive cohort of B. baska in the world, with 50 new animals hatched in 2019. Additionally, we are one of the first groups in the world to successfully rear hatchlings of the Indian Narrowheaded Softshell Turtles (Chitra indica). The Nagaland Zoo in Dimapur again successfully reproduced the Asian Black Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys phayrei) in 2019, producing

This summer, three live Impressed Tortoises were discovered in Arunachal Pradesh, the first records for this species in India. PHOTO CREDIT: SHAILENDRA SINGH

78 hatchlings. An expansive new nursery was also built, to rear animals until they are large enough to release. After experiencing high juvenile mortality in 2018, the TSA helped address husbandry issues that provided a foundation for success this year. A pictorial tortoise feeding manual that can be used by most of our range country programs was one of the outcomes of this effort.

Despite these efforts and conservation results pertaining to 14 threatened turtle species, the team urgently needs to expand the program to cover more areas and species in need, as resources are often scant. At the time of writing this article, five Indian species were up-listed to a higher threat category under the IUCN Red List, indicating their time is running out. Trafficking cases are on the rise, along with their detection or confiscations. Still, rough estimates suggest that the latter represents only 10% of the actual extent of illegal trafficking. With trade networks becoming more sophisticated and widespread, the India program is the only dedicated project focused on combating freshwater turtle trade in India. Though disheartening and often overwhelming, it is this very fact that drives the likes of Ashish and the rest of the India team, for whom, when down in the trenches, covered in blood and guts, every single animal counts.

Acknowledgments: For financial support and partnerships we thank: Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh Forest Departments, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, People’s Trust for Endangered Species, Alan and Patricia Koval Foundation, Auckland Zoo, Phoenix Zoo, San Antonio Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo, Sunderban Tiger Reserve, Ocean Park Conservation Fund Hong-Kong,, Disney Conservation Fund, Wildlife Trust of India, Wildlife Conservation Trust, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Turtle Conservation Fund. We also thank the Assam Tourism Development Corporation for

Crowned River Turtle- Project Spotlight

The Crowned River Turtle (Hardella thurjii) is probably one of the least understood freshwater turtle species in India. Elusive by nature and heavily aquatic, any information about the species has been gleaned from captive observations and chance encounters in the wild. The Turtle Survival Alliance’s India Program began work on the species in 2005, with surveys of the entire Gomti and larger part of Ganges Rivers to locate viable breeding populations of this species. Unfortunately, only a small population was located in the Gomti River, though no nesting females were seen. Project researchers discovered a robust population on Sarju River in 2007. Since 2015, Arunima Singh has championed this project as part of her graduate studies; the main focus being population assessment, and documentation of nesting and egg development cycles. Aru has been able to document peak nesting times and behaviors for this species and, using gravid females in situ, has revealed an unusual nesting behavior for this species. They lay their eggs underwater and undergo embryonic diapause, presumably the receding monsoonal high waters trigger egg development later in the year. This past year, Arunima was successful in hatching out several Crowned River Turtles, a first for this species. Aru, under TSA India, continues her graduate research on this species and is currently looking into tracking gravid females via radio telemetry to help locate wild nests, to better protect vital nesting areas for this species.

partnership on the Assam Project

Kalpana Awasthi, Pawan Kumar, Sunil Pandey, Tillotama Verma, Rupak De, Ravi Kant Sinha, Sanjay Singh, Sanjay Srivastava,Neeraj Kumar, Anand Kumar, Prabhat Kumar, Obed Swu, Bharat Bhatt, P Shiv Kumar, Manish Singh, Ravi Kumar Singh, Abu Arshad Khan, Mukut Das, Kausar Hilali, Nilajan Mallick, Deepak M., Anindya Guha Thakurata, RK Rathod, Harikishor Shukla, RK Tripathi, Dr. Asad R Rahmani, Peeyush Sekhsaria, Pradeep Saxena, Rashmi Srivastava, Mukesh Mishra, Parimal Ray,Gaurav Barhadiya, Arpita Dutta, Gautam Singh, Pawan Parekh, Sreeparna Dutta, Suresh Pal

A Crowned River Turtle emerges from a river in the Terai Arc Landscape. This little understood species has been the focus of Arunima Singh’s PhD research. PHOTO CREDIT: SHAILENDRA SINGH

Singh, Lalit Budhani. Rick Hudson, Patricia Koval, Andrew Walde, Nathan Haislip, Prakriti Srivastava, and Venu Parmeshwar are sincerely acknowledged for guidance and technical inputs.

Contact: Shailendra Singh, Rishika Dubla, Arunima Singh, Bhasker Dixit — Wildlife Conservation Society - India Program/ Turtle Survival Alliance - India Program, D1/317 Sector F, Jankipuram, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh India 226021 [shai@turtlesurvival.org]

J. Daren Riedle — Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism

Turtle Survival Alliance and Wildlife Conservation Society Work Together to Avert the Extinction of Turtles in Myanmar

Situated at a biogeographical crossroads between India, China, and Southeast Asia, Myanmar is endowed with an extremely diverse turtle fauna (27 species, eight of which are endemic to the country). This fauna has long been imperiled by a combination of subsistence harvesting by impoverished rural villagers, commercially-driven poaching to meet the seemingly insatiable demands

of wildlife markets in southern China, and widespread habitat destruction now being fueled by foreign investors bent on exploiting the nation’s abundant natural resources.

Since the early 2000s, Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have worked together in a unique partnership forged by a shared commitment

to safeguard the turtles of Myanmar. Despite the challenges of conserving biodiversity in an economically destitute nation, the TSA/ WCS partnership has been successful in arresting the downward spiral of some of the planet’s most critically endangered turtles and tortoises. At the core of this organizational partnership lies an exceptionally talented, highly skilled, and extremely motivated team

Reintroduced Burmese Star Tortoise at Shwe Settaw Wildlife Sanctuary grazing on grass sprouts in wake of a dry season fire. PHOTO CREDIT: SWANN HTET

Steven G. Platt and Kalyar Platt

of Burmese, which Kalyar and I have been privileged to lead since 2011.

Our ultimate objective mirrors that of the TSA – to prevent the extinction of any turtles and tortoises in the 21st century. To accomplish this mission, we employ an array of in and ex situ conservation strategies that range from securing wild populations at one end of the spectrum to captive breeding at the other. Although The TSA/WCS Myanmar Turtle Program has positive impacts on numerous species, the brunt of our efforts are focused on four critically endangered species: Burmese Star Tortoise (Geochelone platynota), Burmese Roofed Turtle (Batagur trivittata), Big-headed Turtle (Platysternon megacephalum), and Asian Black Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys phayrei).

RESTORING THE BURMESE STAR TORTOISE

The Burmese Star Tortoise occurs only in the Dry Zone of central Myanmar, a desert-like

region formed by the rain shadow of the western mountains, characterized by dense thickets of thorn scrub. This scrub is the home of the Burmese Star Tortoise, which historically was abundant in the region. Decades of subsistence harvesting decimated the Star Tortoise, but the coup de gras was administered during the 1990s when demand from global pet markets pushed this species to the very edge of extinction. By the early 2000s, the Star Tortoise was considered functionally extinct in the wild. So great was the illicit demand for this stunningly beautiful tortoise, that even populations within protected areas were poached to extinction.

Shortly thereafter, the Myanmar Forest Department, working together with TSA/WCS, established three assurance colonies with about 175 tortoises confiscated from wildlife traffickers. These tortoises quickly adjusted to captivity, and soon began to churn

out many offspring; in fact, the captive population now exceeds 16,000 and continues to grow by 1-2 thousand every year. The 2018-19 breeding season was no exception, with over 2,000 young tortoises hatched in the three assurance colonies. Our efforts to restore wild populations began in 2013-14 at Minzontaung Wildlife Sanctuary (MWS), and expanded to include Shwe Settaw Wildlife Sanctuary (SSWS) in 2015. We employ a soft release strategy at both sanctuaries whereby tortoises are transferred from the assurance colonies to temporary on-site acclimation pens, held for 12 months, then allowed to wander out of the pens into the surrounding scrub. This approach dampens post-release dispersal making it more likely that tortoises will remain within the sanctuary and hence, under the umbrella of protection we provide. To date, we have released over 2,000 captive bred Star Tortoises in the two wildlife sanctuaries. Survival rates

TSA/WCS staff, Forest Department Rangers, and Community Conservation Cadres releasing head starting tortoises into an acclimation pen at Shwe Settaw Wildlife Sanctuary. PHOTO CREDIT: SWANN HTET

are high, and free-ranging tortoises are now reproducing in the wild.

In 2017, we initiated an experimental egg translocation program at MWS and SSWS; eggs produced by females in the assurance colonies are reburied in the wild and the neonates are released shortly after emerging from the nest. Our initial results at both wildlife sanctuaries were disappointing, with wild hatching rates considerably lower than eggs in the assurance colonies. However, after several modifications to our protocols, hatching rates of translocated eggs approached those of the assurance colonies. In addition to being much less expensive than traditional headstarting, allowing eggs to hatch in the wild will subject young tortoises to a regime of natural selection that cannot be duplicated

under captive conditions. Mortality among wild-born hatchlings will no doubt be high, but low juvenile survival is a typical life history trait of long-lived tortoises, and survivors are expected to be hardier, more robust, and better adapted for life in the wild.

Given our demonstrated success at MWS and SSWS, we recently set our sights on a third protected area, Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS). CWS was identified as a potential reintroduction site in the National Star Tortoise Conservation Action Plan prepared by TSA/ WCS in collaboration with the Myanmar Forest Department in 2012. A 2018 expedition confirmed that the Burmese Star Tortoise occurred in CWS until driven to extinction by the local bushmeat trade in the 1980s. Plans are now in the works to establish a

fourth assurance colony at Chatthin, and launch a conservation education program in the villages surrounding the sanctuary. Our experience at other wildlife sanctuaries indicates that community education is an essential prerequisite for ensuring a successful outcome to reintroduction. Additionally, selected villagers will be recruited to serve as Community Conservation Cadres (CCCs), tasked with assisting field staff in maintaining the assurance colony, radio-tracking released tortoises, and conducting antipoaching patrols.

As with any conservation endeavor, an occasional setback is to be expected, and during the past year our efforts at SSWS were beset by predators. Our woes began during early 2019 when Asiatic Jackals suddenly devel-

Captive bred juvenile Burmese Star Tortoises being head started for eventual release at Minzontaung Wildlife Sanctuary. PHOTO CREDIT: ME ME SOE

oped a taste for Burmese Star Tortoise. The culprits were identified when automated game cameras captured images of the jackals with tortoises in their jaws. We believe that only one or two jackals were responsible for this predation. Lethal removal was not an option and, because canids are rapid learners, we feared this behavior could become engrained in other jackals (e.g., offspring of the offending pair) leading to a nightmare scenario where predation could become an intractable obstacle to further reintroductions. Fortunately, and for reasons that remain unknown to us, jackal predation ceased almost as suddenly as it began. Our complacency, however, was short-lived. Shortly thereafter, a sounder of wild pigs smashed their way into two acclimation pens and, in a night-long orgy of blood-letting masked by a violent monsoonal thunderstorm, managed to kill and devour almost 200 tortoises awaiting release. Three days later, an attempt by these wild pigs to return was thwarted by security staff. Nevertheless, the damage had been done. While these setbacks are disheartening, we must stress that with over 16,000 tortoises in captivity, and more being hatched every year, predation in no way jeopardizes our ability to restore Star Tortoises to the sanctuary.

SECURING THE FUTURE OF THE BURMESE ROOFED TURTLE

With only five adult females - and probably fewer males - known to survive in the wild, the Burmese Roofed Turtle (BRT) is ranked as one of the world’s most endangered turtles. Endemic to the major rivers of Myanmar, this large aquatic turtle was feared extinct until two remnant populations were rediscovered in the early 2000s. A last ditch combination of in situ and ex situ conservation measures launched by TSA/WCS in the mid-2000s, staved off near-certain extinction for this species.

First, an assurance colony was established at the Mandalay Zoo using turtles rescued from fishermen and pagoda ponds. At the same time, we launched a program of sandbank protec-

tion and egg collection along the Chindwin River, in hopes of saving the last remaining wild population of this species. As part of this program, every year we employ villagers as “Community Wardens” to monitor a handful of sandbanks where the reclusive female turtles are known to nest. Wardens make daily patrols of the sandbanks shortly after dawn, and upon finding fresh tracks, immediately notify the TSA/WCS Field Team at our basecamp in Limpha Village. The team immediately travels by boat to the sandbank, unearths the eggs, and translocates the clutch to a secure sandbank at Limpha to complete incubation. The hatchlings are then head started for eventual release into the Chindwin River.

The past 12 months have been a banner year for BRT conservation. At the time of this writing, 170 hatchlings had emerged from eggs laid at the Mandalay Zoo; the largest number yet produced during any single nest-

ing season. Three automated game cameras, placed on the artificial sandbank at the zoo, captured images of nesting female turtles, and revealed insights into the breeding biology of this poorly known species. We learned that nesting is invariably a nocturnal activity, often undertaken on the darkest of nights, and can last for hours. We also confirmed that some females deposit more than one nest during the nesting season, which extends from December through March. Also on the captive front, we established a fourth assurance colony consisting of 50 turtles at the Yangon Zoo in early 2019. Two additional assurance colonies in Myanmar, consisting of almost 200 BRTs, are expected to begin producing eggs soon. Our team also excavated four clutches from along the Chindwin River in 2019, containing 70 viable eggs, of which 63 (90%) hatched successfully in May and June. The hatchlings will be transferred to outdoor ponds in early

Burmese Roofed Turtle emerging from egg at secure incubation facility at Limpha Basecamp. PHOTO CREDIT: MYO MIN WIN

2020, and eventually released into the river.

Every year, two female Burmese Roofed Turtles living in an isolated pool far up the Chindwin River deposit clutches of infertile eggs, presumably because wild males are absent from that stretch of river. In light of the limited genetic diversity present in the wild and captive population (in total no more than 10 reproductive females), these two females are extremely important for the future welfare of the species. In an effort to

spur reproduction and “capture their genes”, we released 20 adult males into this stretch of river in November 2018. As expected, in mid-March one of the females emerged from the river and deposited a clutch of 47 eggs that we quickly collected and reburied near Limpha. We allowed about a week for the eggs to “band” before excavating a few to determine if any were viable. Words cannot express our disappointment when we found that, as in previous years, none of the

eggs appeared to be fertile. Nonetheless, we allowed all of the eggs to complete incubation and, at the conclusion of the incubation period, removed and carefully inspected each egg. The verdict was again the same, but with a glimmer of hope - a single unhatched egg exhibited what appeared to be the rudiments of an embryo that perished very early in development, thus we anxiously await the results of the 2019-20 nesting season!

BIG-HEADED TURTLE CONSERVATION

The Big-headed Turtle (BHT) is fast rising to prominence in the illegal wildlife trade flowing out of Myanmar. This surge in illicit demand stems from turtle farmers in China now paying top dollar for BHT stock in their commercial breeding operations. As a consequence, BHTs are no longer safe anywhere in Southeast Asia, even within normally well-patrolled wildlife sanctuaries in Thailand, a nation noted for its system of strong protected areas. The TSA/WCS Turtle Rescue Center (TRC) near Pin Oo Lwin is now home to almost 500 BHTs, all were obtained by the Myanmar Forest Department during large confiscations in 2016 and 2017. Caring for these turtles has taxed our resources to the limit and remains challenging, owing to their exacting and specialized husbandry requirements. For the past two years, the turtles have been individually housed in large fiberglass tubs, each supplied with cool spring-water from makeshift system of PVC pipes. Our plan has always been to repatriate the majority of these turtles into protected areas in southern Myanmar, while retaining about 100 individuals as the nucleus of an assurance colony. Unfortunately, these plans have repeatedly been stymied by on-going security concerns in eastern Myanmar where anti-government insurgent groups are increasingly active.

To end on a positive note, a secure repatriation area within Tanintharyi Nature Reserve was finally identified. The release area is crisscrossed by small swift-flowing mountain streams, well-patrolled by sanctuary

Recently constructed facility that will house the assurance colony of Big-headed Turtles at the Turtle Rescue Center. PHOTO CREDIT: ME ME SOE

Asian Giant Brown Tortoise hatchlings just out of the egg. Note the prominent “egg tooth” which the hatchling employs to cut through the eggshell when exiting the egg. PHOTO CREDIT: ME ME SOE

staff, distant from any human settlements. We hope to begin repatriating BHTs to this area during late 2019. Each turtle will be outfitted with a small VHF transmitter to monitor post-release survival and dispersal, allowing us to rigorously evaluate the success of this repatriation.

BREEDING THE ASIAN BLACK GIANT TORTOISE IN CAPTIVITY

The origin of our Asian Black Giant Tortoise (ABGT) assurance colonies dates back to 2007, when almost 100 were seized by border police while being smuggled into China where a gruesome death likely awaited them. In lieu of a dedicated facility, the tortoises were housed for many years at the Mandalay Zoo and Lawkanandar Wildlife Sanctuary. These facilities are both located in the hot lowlands of Myanmar, an inappropriate region for mountain-dwelling tortoises. Specially designed facilities were later constructed at the TRC in the hills above Mandalay, and in Gwa at the headquarters of the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Sanctuary. In 2013, the tortoises were transferred to their new accommodations. But alas, all was not well. Although the tortoises soon began to nest in earnest and deposited hundreds of eggs, few hatched. With only a trickle of offspring forthcoming every year, there are certainly not enough to launch a full-blown reintroduction and recovery effort for this endangered species.

The situation changed for the better when experienced husbandrymen from the Turtle Survival Alliance and Prospect Park Zoo (WCSBrooklyn, New York) visited Myanmar to advise on potential improvements to our ex situ programs. One recommendation was to abandon our traditional vermiculite-based approach to incubating ABGT eggs and adopt what are known as McCaskill Chambers –Styrofoam boxes containing sand and leaves in which the eggs are incubated. We followed these recommendations, and the results were spectacular: of the 180 eggs laid at the TRC, 102 hatched; a success rate of 56%!

In light of our recent success at the TRC, ABGT eggs at Gwa will be incubated using this technique during the coming (2020) nesting season. If we can consistently produce large numbers of hatchling tortoises for head starting, our next step will be to begin restoring this charismatic species to a suitable habitat within the national protected area system. These actions come not a moment too soon, as the ABGT has been steadily disappearing in Myanmar, a decline that, until recently, has gone unnoticed. The large size of this tortoise makes it especially vulnerable to subsistence hunting by mountain-dwelling villagers. Our field surveys in the mountains of western Myanmar revealed that ABGT were extirpated from the region many years ago. In fact, while most villagers knew of the “Elephant Tortoise” - as the species is dubbed locally - only the elderly had first-hand knowledge of them. Likewise, our surveys in the Rakhine Yoma Mountains failed to detect living examples of ABGTs. To our knowledge, the only surviving populations inhabit the rugged, jungle-clad mountains on the Myanmar-Thai frontier in southern

Myanmar. Here, land clearance for oil palm and rubber plantations is fast destroying the remaining habitat, and villagers continue to harvest tortoises for food. Given the perils facing the ABGT, restoring this iconic species to the wild is now a priority action for the TSA/WCS Myanmar Turtle Program.

Acknowledgments: For their steadfast and generous support of the TSA/WCS Myanmar Turtle Conservation Program, we wish to recognize the following donors: Andrew Sabin and the Sabin Family Foundation, Andrew Walde, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Paul and Linda Gould, , Holohil Systems, Ltd., Lewis Medlock, National Geographic Society, Panaphil Foundation, Paul Goulet and Little Rays Reptiles, SOS (Save Our Species), Turtle Conservation Fund, Wildlife Reserves Singapore (Singapore Zoo), and Wildlife Conservation Society.

Contact: Steven G. Platt and Kalyar Platt, Turtle Survival Alliance and Wildlife Conservation Society, No. 12, Nanrattaw St., Kamayut Township, Yangon, Union of Myanmar [sgplatt@gmail.com; kalyar-platt@gmail.com]

Egg-laying by Asian Black Giant Tortoise at Turtle Rescue Center. PHOTO CREDIT: NAY WIN KYAW

Turtles in the Jungle Building Awareness and Conservation Action from Back-a-Bush

Jacob Marlin BELIZE

2019 marked the completion of the rearing pond for hatchlings at the HCRC. The pond provides suitable habitat for the turtles before repatriation into wild habitats. PHOTO CREDIT: HEATHER BARRETT (BFREE)

“So what’s happening in Belize with the Central American River Turtle?” asked Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) President Rick Hudson back in 2009. He had finally reached me by phone after trying to hunt me down for months. I wasn’t easy to find as I had been living off the grid in Belize since 1993, having started an international NGO and biological research station, called the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education

(BFREE), deep in the rainforests of Belize. Here, I had limited email and phone access. I explained that nothing was happening with the species, known locally as “Hicatee,” other than it had been historically harvested in large numbers and that, as far as I knew, no conservation efforts had taken place since the 1990’s when John Polisar did some work in central Belize and had published some findings. I had only encountered Hicatee as sun-bleached

shells at hunting camps on the shores of lagoons during some of my Morelet’s crocodile surveys in the mid-to-late 90’s. Rick explained TSA was interested in getting a project off the ground in Belize, and I asked if I could help.

After Rick visited Belize a few times between 2009 and 2010, and meetings were held with Government officials and local stakeholders, the program took shape with

all the usual components of a species survival strategy. This included a country-wide survey to determine its current status, stakeholder workshops, education and outreach activities, and support for enforcement of regulations regarding illegal harvesting.

The Central American River Turtle (Dermatemys mawii) is a large >14 kg (31 lbs.) aquatic freshwater turtle found along the coastal lowlands of southern Mexico, northern Guatemala, and Belize. It has been intensely harvested for its meat and has been virtually eliminated from much of its former range in southern Mexico. Currently, its status in Guatemala remains unclear. The lone surviving representative of the family Dermatemydidae, it is the last of an ancient lineage dating back some 65 million years. Ranked Critically Endangered, it is considered one of the top 25 most imperiled turtles on the planet.

In 2011, Rick wanted to develop an assurance colony and asked me to help find a location in Belize. After exploring options, Rick requested that I establish the facility at BFREE. This would mean building ponds, infrastructure, staffing, and acquiring a founding population; a challenge for a species whose populations had likely declined significantly. I admit, I was reluctant. Not because I didn’t see the importance and need to conserve the species, but because the location of BFREE was remote, difficult to access, and had a multitude of logistical challenges on a day-to-day basis. It was hard enough to get people, supplies, and equipment down our six-mile muddy entrance road and across a jungle river which floods unpredictably during much of the year. The idea of building and maintaining a freshwater turtle breeding and research facility deep in the rainforest for a species that historically had very limited and poor results being maintained in a captive set-

ting was daunting. Putting my practical instincts to the side, I agreed, and the hard work began.

Since completing the facility, known as the Hicatee Conservation and Research Center (HCRC), in 2013, it’s been a whirlwind of firsts, challenges, setbacks, and successes. Before I knew it, ten years passed and the TSA/BFREE partnership is well on its way to making real and meaningful impacts to prevent the species’ continuing decline as well as building awareness and conservation actions for the future. The HCRC now houses 45 breeding adults in two artificial ponds. Five consecutive years of reproduction from these adults have produced over 40 clutches, totaling more than 450 eggs, and, currently, there are 323 captive born turtles in the recently constructed rearing pond. In bringing national and global attention to the plight of the Hicatee, this October will celebrate the third

One of the many adult male Central American River Turtles collected during night surveys conducted by Missouri State University and BFREE in the spring of 2019. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism – males have yellow-orange heads, females are brown. PHOTO CREDIT: DONALD MCKNIGHT (MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY)

Ethan Hollender examines a male Central American River Turtle captured during night surveys this spring. These surveys are vital to determining the remaining population of this critically endangered species in Belize, their last stronghold. PHOTO CREDIT: DONALD MCKNIGHT (MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY)

National Hicatee Awareness Month in Belize, with October 17th recognized as National Hicatee Day. Thousands of local Belizean students from over 250 schools have participated in outreach and education programs both at the HCRC and throughout Belize. Bi-annual health checks have taken place for four consecutive years with the support of wildlife veterinarians from numerous institutions across the U.S. and Belize, bringing expertise to the program. We are actively building capacity within local Belizean communities, developing a new generation of turtle biologists and conservationists. Husbandry protocols and best management practices have been well established for enclosure and pond design, successful captive care, diet, breeding efforts, nesting sites, egg incubation, and rearing of hatchlings. Experiments in unlocking the mysteries of embryonic diapause and studying countless behavioral aspects of the species are moving forward at a rapid pace. A strong advocacy program for officially recognizing the Hicatee as the National Reptile of Belize is catching on, and the awareness of the Hicatee as a symbol of national pride and cultural significance is becoming well established on a national level.

This spring, at the request of and with financial support from the Government of Belize, BFREE and members of the Turtle Ecology Lab at Missouri State University (MSU) teamed up to determine the feasibility of generating population estimates of Hicatee in the wild (see sidebar). Additionally, BFREE staff worked with a new master’s student from the University of Oklahoma studying behavioral aspects of the species in the wild (see side bar). Multiple partner organizations throughout Belize and the U.S. are now active in the TSA/BFREE efforts, and though there has been great progress, much more work needs to be done. Though I was reluctant to spearhead these endeavors from a jungle-covered central command center, it has proven to be an important focus of BFREE’s work and critical to the species’ survival in the future.

COLLABORATING FOR WILD HICATEES

Led by Dr. Day Ligon, members of the Turtle Ecology Lab at MSU along with HCRC staff conducted five weeks of field work from April - June 2019. A total of 193 Hicatee in three different populations were captured, weighed, measured, and permanently marked for future identification. A subset of turtles was equipped with GPS tags and sonic transmitters. Plans are underway for 2020 when mark-recapture efforts will continue to generate some of the first precise population estimates for the species.

Ms. Elyse Ellsworth, a master’s student from University of Oklahoma began her field work looking at dispersal patterns and behavioral aspects of different size classes of Hicatee. Radio transmitters were placed on over ten turtles of different sizes and followed for weeks in early 2019. Elyse plans to return in early 2020. Partial support was provided by Oklahoma City Zoo.

Acknowlegments: Recent funding support for the HCRC and outreach programs was provided by: Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Zoo New England, Oklahoma City Zoo, Zoo Granby, Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, and Turtle Survival Alliance. Funding support for new research was provided by Missouri State University, Oklahoma City Zoo,

University of Oklahoma, Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Zoo New England, Turtle Survival Alliance, the Delta Foundation, and the Protected Areas Conservation Trust of Belize.

Contact: Jacob A. Marlin BFREE P.O. 129, Punta Gorda, Belize Central America [jmarlin@bfreebz.org]

Thanks to funding provided by Belize’s Protected Areas Conservation Trust and the Delta Foundation, a collaborative research effort to determine Hicatee population estimates in Belize occurred in early 2019. Team members from left to right: Jaren Serano, Day Ligon, Yamira Novelo, Thomas Pop, Donald McKnight, and Ethan Hollender. Not pictured: Hunter Howell and Denise Thompson. PHOTO CREDIT: DONALD MCKNIGHT (MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY)

A Vision for Conserving the Black-breasted Leaf Turtle in China

Slipping off the path, we spread out among the trees on the forested slope. The calling birds and droning insects overhead are a world away from the blaring vehicle horns in the town that we left earlier that morning. While melodic to our ears, the forest creates problems for our eyes. So little sunlight penetrates through the dense canopy that, although it is now just past midday, the forest floor remains stuck in twilight.

We click on our flashlights and begin to climb higher, our eyes carefully scanning the ground. As we move forward through the trees, our lights illuminate fallen leaves, rocks, roots, and – wait, what is that? Just a leaf. Continuing on, we can see gathering clouds through a break in the tree cover. It’s going to rain.

Reluctantly, we decide to turn back. The descent, already difficult when dry, becomes treacherous in the rain when water cascades downhill and the terrain becomes slick mud. We carefully begin to – there? No, another leaf. We are nearly back to the trail when a flashlight beam suddenly lands on an object sitting in the leaf litter.

This time – could it really be? Yes! Shouts of joy emanate from the spot, and our team assembles around the target of our quest. Just then the skies open, and a heavy downpour begins. However, we ignore the cold rain, soaked clothes, tired muscles, and sore feet. Breaking into smiles, we celebrate our success – we found a small brown turtle!

Since 2016, similar scenes have played out multiple times during field surveys for the Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle (Geoemyda spengleri) in China. However, despite four

field seasons, finding a turtle in the wild has never gotten routine for us. Every time one is found, the survey team members still get a sense of excitement and wonder.

In part, these feelings stem from our shared love for turtles. But they also arise because the Black-breasted Leaf Turtle is so very challenging to find. However, the species’ camouflage is not the only difficulty. Over the past several decades, collection for trade has pushed the species toward extinction. Along with field

surveys, we have conducted interviews with local villagers and dealers to learn about past and present levels of exploitation. Our initial efforts focused on the island of Hainan, the southernmost province of China.

Unfortunately, we have uncovered a rather grim outlook for the species on Hainan. There, populations appear to be restricted to a few small areas, which have recently been subjected to intensive collection. Demand from the pet trade remains high, but fewer and fewer

Jeffrey Dawson, Daniel Gaillard, and Mr. Yale with a Black-breasted Leaf Turtle found during a field survey in Guangdong Province, China. PHOTO CREDIT: JEFFREY DAWSON

Jeffrey Dawson, Daniel Gaillard, Haitao Shi, Liu Lin, Shiping Gong, and Ben Anders

turtles are being caught each year. As a result, the price paid to turtle collectors has jumped dramatically – over 1,500% since 2015 –which continues to fuel illegal collection.

Concerned by our data from Hainan, we wanted to know more about how this leaf turtle is faring in other parts of China. To find out, we traveled to the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi in the summer of 2019. Our objective was to visit sites where either the species had previously been documented or where suitable habitat appeared to exist based on satellite images and computer modeling. In addition to surveys for turtles, we placed temperature and humidity data loggers at some spots to learn more about the species’ environmental preferences.

Based on our preliminary data, viable populations of Black-breasted Leaf Turtle may still exist in some places. At a site in Guangdong, we found two wild turtles within a short time. We also met with a local person who finds sizable numbers of adult turtles in an adjacent area. We hope to expand our work at this promising location, verifying the status of the population, and potentially incorporating radio-telemetry to study the species’ behavior and ecology.

Sadly, the situation for the leaf turtle does not seem as rosy elsewhere. At multiple places in Guangxi, where it was historically recorded, we found no evidence of healthy populations remaining. Few local people even recognized the species; those that did reported that vast numbers were collected 10 to 15 years ago. Now, the Black-breasted Leaf Turtle (along with other turtle species of the area) seems to be hanging on in only small numbers.

For effective conservation of the Black-

breasted Leaf Turtle more information is needed. We recently received funding for genetic analyses and additional surveys in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces. While these tasks will be our priorities for 2020, we also plan to retrieve the data loggers and pursue the proposed radio-telemetry study. We hope that our efforts will enable this species to be found in the wild for generations to come – if the turtles can be spotted among the leaves.

Acknowledgments: We thank our funders, Alan and Patricia Koval Foundation, Tim Gregory, and Hainan Normal University. We also appreciate the assistance of Mr. Yale, Xiao Fanrong, HNU students, and many villagers who warmly welcomed us.

Contact: Jeffrey Dawson, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA [jdawson@stlzoo.org]; Daniel Gaillard, Dalton State College, Dalton, GA 30720 USA [dgaillrd@gmail.com]; Haitao Shi and Liu Lin, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China [haitao-shi@263. net, kylelinliu@163.com]; Shiping Gong, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou 510260, China [gsp621@163.com]; Ben Anders, Hong Kong, China [casichelydia@gmail.com]

The striking coloration of this male Black-breasted Leaf Turtle is typical of individuals from Hainan Province, China. Unfortunately, this beauty has made them highly desired in the pet trade, which now threatens their survival.

PHOTO CREDIT: JEFFREY DAWSON

The Black-breasted Leaf Turtle blends into the forest floor thanks to its resemblance to dead leaves.

PHOTO CREDIT: JEFFREY DAWSON

COLOMBIA

A Turtle Conservation Hero Emerges and a New Protected Reserve is Established

JUAN MOYETON: THE REDEEMER OF THE CHARAPAS

Juan Moyeton is one of those few men in the world who can say he has been born twice. He first greeted the Colombian light 65 years ago in Maní (Casanare), a place he

still defines as a natural paradise, ripe with multicolor birds and crystalline rivers. He recalls vividly the incredible howls of the red monkeys, a sound like the roar of the wind hitting the jungle.

In his youth, despite this phenomenal biodi-

versity surrounding his homeland, he had no qualms about tolerating hunting, deforestation, or children hitting birds. On occasion, he even used to take pleasure in eating turtle meat with his neighbors, a pastime he enjoyed from time to time without remorse or further thought as to the impact his meal

Germán Forero-Medina, Igor Valencia, and Javier Silva

Hatchling Giant South American River Turtles are released on a Meta River beach in the community of La Virgen. PHOTO CREDIT: JAVIER SILVA

may have on that species. At age 35, he moved to Nueva Antioquia, Vichada, a town located on the banks of the Meta River on the border of Arauca. Once there, he and his family settled in, and he began pursuing a life in agriculture. Little did he know, his life was about to change forever.

It happened one day, unexpectedly, when a friend of his invited him to see a cambote, the name given when there is an aggregate of over one hundred turtles nesting together. The sight of this magnificent gathering changed his life. “Seeing that number of turtles together on a beach was a feeling difficult to explain. My transformation began at that moment. I started to appreciate life in a different way.” Thus, he was born again. Bearing witness to this unforgettable cambote changed his indifferent attitude toward the environment to one of thorough commitment to its protection. From that moment on, he became a defender of wildlife, an occupation he practices with passion to this day.

Never consuming turtle meat again, Juan has become a leader of the environmental cause in his region of Cravo Norte (Arauca), which includes the village of Santa Maria de la Virgen. Here, he takes action, motivating the region’s populous to defend the “charapa” or Giant South American River Turtle (Podocnemis expansa), a critically endangered species native to the Amazon and Orinoco river drainages of South America. The largest of South America’s freshwater turtles, the charapa has suffered tremendous population declines due in large part to poaching for their meat and eggs. Once numbering in the millions, the continent’s population of charapas now numbers in the hundreds of thousands. To save them, the species needs larger-than-life community members, now more than ever.

Moyeton is undoubtedly a larger-than-life figure in Santa Maria de la Virgen, one full of life. He is an avid biker, provides tutelage

in the community, and once, during the third Festival of the Charapa Turtle, was elected master of ceremonies. To engage the community and give visibility to the charapa, he allowed its citizens to paint a mural on the wall of his house, adorned with a phrase that is now an emblem of life and symbol of the village, “Here we protect the Charapa Turtle.” The mural depicts a distant jungle, the Meta River, and features a caiman and pink river dolphin frolicking in the water, otter and capybara on its beach, and a turtle guardian removing the protective enclosure from a turtle nest as its hatchlings make their way to the water. Of course, the most prominent feature of the mural is the large adult charapa painted by Moyeton himself. It is at least 50 cm in size with full, lifelike detail. The turtle took him several days to finish, but he did, just as the sun set on the last day before the festival. “The turtle has resisted everything, don’t you think it deserves this effort?” he asked me, as he finished coloring the turtle’s shell.

Juan, however, is not only a visible and proactive community member, he’s also the eldest of the charapas’ “adoptive parents,” welcoming them as his “daughters.” These

adoptive parents are a group of ten men and one woman who, they themselves, during their five years of work here, have recruited close to twenty-five village inhabitant to be guardians of the charapas. As guardians they help to monitor and protect the nesting adult female turtles between the months of December and March along the beaches of the Meta River corresponding to the area of the Wildlife Project (Proyecto Vida Silvestre). At the commencement of the rainy season, roughly two months after the females deposited their eggs, the young turtles emerge from the sand and make their way into the river. This process too is protected by the watchful eye of the guardians.

The Wildlife Project itself is an initiative led by Turtle Survival Alliance, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Fundación Omacha, and supported by Ecopetrol, the Mario Santo Domingo Foundation, Fondo Accion, and Foundation Segré. Juan is the most experienced person among the community’s inhabitants who support the cause. He has taken part in the project since 2015, and his voice of experience is taken into consideration every time he expresses his opinion. This year, through the wisdom gained and

The completed mural on the wall of Juan Moyeton’s house in La Virgen, Cravo Norte. PHOTO CREDIT: JAVIER SILVA

soon as the charapas are born, the caracara bird, foxes, crocodilians, and even catfish, are ready to eat them. It is natural, it is part of the natural food chain. However sometimes, people destroy or loot their nests to take out the eggs for consuming or selling. And what we want is that this does not happen anymore, that’s why we work day and night, we are their sentinels,” comments Moyeton. However, he also explained that looting from human predators was reduced during this most recent season thanks to the team’s efforts. Nevertheless, their objective is to quash egg poaching altogether. “The charapas deserve to survive, I can’t conceive this place without them,” he said.

After being an indifferent man, a human being who was never seduced by the wellbeing of animals and plants, Don Juan, as he is affectionately known, has given himself to conservation. He is an intuitive fan of the planet, who now lives for avoiding the extinction of species, especially his charismatic charapas. They are his heart, and he, the heart of charapa conservation in eastern Colombia.

RESTORATION ACTIVITIES FOR DAHL’S TOAD-HEADED TURTLE IN CHIMICHAGUA, CESAR

steadfast resolve exhibited, he and his colleagues identified approximately 2,500 nests, a new record figure for this project. This figure is incredibly important to reviving an ecosystem for which the turtles are an integral component.

Charapas, and their eggs and hatchlings, are an important part of the riverine ecosystem in Colombia and elsewhere in their range, one that numerous other species have relied upon for millenia. Sadly, humans have altered the balance of this ecosystem. “As

The Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle (Mesoclemmys dahli) is one of the most endangered turtles on earth. Endemic to the tropical dry forests of northwestern Colombia, habitat destruction, degradation, and genetic isolation are persistent threats to this species’ survival. Here in this heavily impacted, yet important landscape for the country’s biodiversity, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is working on a process for the ecological restoration of the turtle’s habitat on seven properties in the municipality of Chimichagua - Cesar. The areas of the properties connected to the project add up to about 372 hectares (>900 acres) and correspond to the properties Siloasistes, los Carouseles, El Olivo, Las Marías, Brisas del Guaraguao, La Belleza, and Los Barriales.

A Giant South American River Turtle hatchling peers from the water of a holding tank before being released into the Meta River. PHOTO CREDIT: JAVIER SILVA

A Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle is captured in one of the small cattle tanks in which they reside. The fate of this species depends upon conservation activities to protect and manage the few fragmented populations and their remaining habitat. PHOTO CREDIT: CRIS HAGEN

Activities for the restoration of the habitat include the implementation of isolation mechanisms on the riversides of the Caracolí and Guaraguao. These mechanisms are designed to enrich the habitat of species depending on aquatic and riparian vegetation such as the Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle, as this species is associated with aquatic environments featuring a high proportion of vegetative coverage (>82%).

As much of the habitat for the Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle has been converted for agriculture and livestock, we are incentivizing property owners to support actions aimed at improving eco-friendly productivity. These include the construction or deepening of artesian wells to increase the supply of water for domestic use and livestock, as well as implementing agroforestry. Agroforesty is a practice whereby trees or other woody plants are grown around or among crops or livestock pastureland. The wells are complemented by the installation of water tanks for cattle with associated pumping systems, while orchards employing agroforestry utilize citrus and bananas as these cultivars are adapted to the agro-environmental conditions of the area.

These conservation measures in Chimichagua aim to integrate land owners and their families into the process, cultivating a greater awareness for the potential of their land’s biodiversity, and promoting a readiness for the continuation of these activities aimed at the conservation of this critically endangered species.

Acknowledgments: Tim Gregory, Disney Conservation Fund, Fundación Mario Santodomingo, Ecopetrol, Rainforest Trust, Fondation Segré, Wildlife Conservation Society, Fundación Omacha.

Contact: Germán Forero-Medina and Igor Valencia, Turtle Survival Alliance, Wildlife Conservation Society, Cali, Colombia [gforero@wcs.org; ivalencia@ wcs.org]

First Protected Area for Dahl´s Toad-headed Turtle Now a Reality in Colombia

year, the TSA, Wildlife Conservation

and Rainforest

secured a 120-hectare

The tropical dry forest of northern Colombia is one of the most degraded and transformed ecosystems in the country with less than 9% remaining intact. The rest has been converted to cattle pastures, crops, and infrastructure, significantly affecting the ecosystem’s flora and fauna. A victim of this process is the Dahl´s Toad-headed Turtle (Mesoclemmys dahli ), endemic to northern Colombia and the only species from the family Chelidae to occur west of the Andes. Recent studies by TSA and WCS teams demonstrate that populations of this semi-aquatic species are highly isolated due to habitat fragmentation. This isolation has resulted in high levels of inbreeding across the species’ range, with all individuals sampled in a two-year study found to be closely related. Genetic exchange between populations is almost non-existent. Now, the survival of the species rests with what little remains of these insular habitat pockets.

To secure a future for the Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle, the TSA partnered with Rainforest Trust and the Wildlife Conservation Society, searching for a land parcel to establish the first-ever reserve for the species. For two years, the team investigated potential sites across the species’ geographic range, evaluating their suitability to serve as a reserve. This year, the team formally signed documents acquiring a 120-hectare (296 acres) parcel in San Benito Abad, Sucre, Colombia. The reserve will be managed by WCS, TSA, and the Rainforest Trust.

To optimize the newly acquired land for Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle, the reserve will undergo a process of habitat restoration, including wetland expansion and improvement, increasing available turtle habitat. Additionally, to mitigate the inbreeding processes, we will soon begin translocation efforts, moving individuals from highly isolated populations to the reserve. This influx of new bloodlines will increase the long-term genetic viability of the reserve’s population. The land acquisition, coupled with forthcoming habitat and genetic management will make the reserve the most important tool for securing a future for this unique endemic in the tropical dry forest of Colombia.

This

Society,

Trust

(296 acres) parcel in San Benito Abad, Sucre, Colombia, the first-ever reserve dedicated to the Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle. PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL SALAMAN

Post-Release Monitoring: Bringing Hope to Southern River Terrapin Survival in Cambodia

It is an exciting time for our Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis) recovery efforts. After nine years of head starting hatchlings, we began releasing turtles into the Sre Ambel River. Experimental releases have introduced 21 turtles in 2015, 25 in 2017, and 20 in 2019. The results have been incredibly successful with greater than 80% survival rate.

Coinciding with the end of the dry season, and two months before the beginning of the rainy season, we release the turtles into soft-release pens along the Sre Ambel River’s banks. This timing allows the turtles to acclimate to the riverine environment before full release into the wild. To monitor the turtles, we attach an acoustic transmitter (Sonotronics model: CT-05-48-E) to each terrapin as well as insert a PIT tag under the skin for permanent identification. Our team has been monitoring their behavior twice a month for 14 months and will continue to do so for the next three years.

Tracking the turtles has not been without its challenges, especially during the rainy season. The annual rainfall in the area is 400 cm (157 inches, over 13 feet!). For perspective, rainfall averaged across the entire Amazon basin is only 7.5 feet. When the rivers flood, the turtles disperse rapidly. The field team often worries about lightning strikes as in 2018, lightning strikes claimed 110 lives in the region. In contrast, the dry season (February to May) has very little rain and the temperature can reach a sweltering 43° C (109.4° F). However, this is the peak time for us to detect the turtles, so we sweat it out under the canopy of our survey boat.

Sitha Som, Phun Thorn, Hul In, and Brian Horne

Delegates from the Royal Government of Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration (FiA), European Union, Wildlife Conservation Society, and local authorities release Southern River Terrapins into the soft-release pen in April. PHOTO CREDIT: WCS CAMBODIA

The Southern River Terrapins were blessed by Buddhist monks in front of local students and villagers to raise awareness of the species and their conservation prior to release into the soft-release pens.

PHOTO CREDIT: SOM SITHA (WCS)

We tracked the highest number of turtles during the first seven months post release, with detection decreasing as they disperse throughout the river system. The dry season saw the highest detections (158) compared to the rainy season (101) during the last 14month period. Detection locations extended from the soft-release pen area to about 50 km downstream, although three individuals were detected about 100 km away in another river system. During the dry season, we primarily found the turtles in river pools ranging from 2.5 to 5 m deep, whereas during the rainy season, we found them in coastal mangrove waters up to 10 m in depth. During this time, we saw them often associated with overhanging mangrove apple trees, the fruit of which is a favorite food item.

Mortality has been low among released head started turtles. Of the two individuals known to die, we were able to recover one of them, its death possibly caused by illegal electrofishing. From this specimen, however, we were able to retrieve crucial biological data from examining its stomach contents. We found fragments of mangrove apple, as well as the first record of prawn consumption. Its straight-line carapace length had increased from 341 mm to 410 mm, an average growth rate of 2.1 mm per month. This growth rate demonstrates that the released turtles were doing quite well at finding their own food in the wild.

Sand mining continues to be a threat to the persistence of critical nesting habitat in the Sre Ambel. Demand for sand in the region has skyrocketed due to a construction boom in the country’s southern port cities. Since 2007, these operations have destroyed many of the sand bars utilized by female turtles. Fighting sand mining operations has been difficult, however, our post-monitoring results have led to a new government policy cancelling the sand mining contract of the largest company operating in the Sre Ambel system. Although some small-scale sand

An Update from Koh Kong By Clint Doak

In January, a highly dedicated work team embarked to Koh Kong Reptile Conservation Center (KKRCC), Cambodia. The purpose of the trip was to continue work on the expansion of grow out ponds for an assurance colony of the critically endangered Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis). The team consisted of participants from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Turtle Survival Alliance, San Diego Zoo Global, Singapore Zoo, Arizona Game and Fish, and Rockscapes. The main focus of this trip was to finish cement work on two existing ponds, increase water flow from the local reservoir, and locate fresh water onsite. The Team accomplished their mission, but there is still much work to be done. The continued improvements to the KKRCC will give the few remaining Southern River Terrapins left a fighting chance.

mining still exists, this is a ‘big win’ for the project. After just one year, the sand bars have made a great comeback, in part due to record-breaking flooding in 2018, which deposited new sand from further upstream.

Another big win for the long-term success of the project is that in January 2019, the Fisheries Administration established the first ever ‘Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone’ for the species. The creation of this managed area will provide additional protection to the turtles from being captured by fishermen who are not permanent

residents of the Sre Ambel area. It gives the local fishermen legal authority to protect and manage their fisheries, all while conserving the turtles. This new management plan bodes exceptionally well for the future recovery of the Southern River Terrapin in Cambodia.

Acknowledgments: We would like to give special thanks to our long-term partners: Wildlife Reserves Singapore and Turtle Survival Alliance; our current and previous donors: US Forest Service, European Union, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, National Geographic Society, Chicago Zoological Society, Turtle Conservation Fund, private donors, and especially our long-term government counterpart Fisheries Administration.

Contacts: Sitha Som, Phun Thorn, Brian Horne, Wildlife Conservation Society, Cambodia, #21, Street 21, Tonle Basac, Chamkarmorn, Phnom Penh, Cambodia [ssom@wcs.org; pthorn@wcs. org; bhorne@wcs.org]; Hul In, Fisheries Administration, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; No. 186, Norodom Boulevard, Sangkat Tonle Basac Khan Chamcar Mon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. P.O. Box 582 [inhul99@yahoo. com]

A reformed sand bar on the Sre Ambel River where all nesting sand bars were destroyed by sand mining. The sand bar was reformed after a torrential rainy season and flooding. PHOTO CREDIT: THORN PHUN (WCS)

Turtle Commerce: Building a Framework to Manage North American Chelonian Confiscations

The eyes of the male turtle held before me stared back at mine. It’s piercing black pupils contrasting markedly against rosy red irises. What mental and physical state did those eyes conceal? Were they of fear? Confusion? Stress? Dehydration? Most likely a mixture of all. I take several photographs to document this specimen before placing him in a shallow bucket of water. Slowly, his head extends from the confines of his shell as he is immersed. Seconds later, he extends his neck completely. His head bobs and a bulge visibly passes beneath the leathery skin of his outstretched

Jordan Gray and Rick Hudson

neck. Soon after, another one. He is drinking. Hydration is routinely the first step to recovery for turtles and tortoises released from the confines of their shipment device. After several minutes he lifts his head from the water, stares back up at me with questioning eyes, and begins clawing at the bucket’s sidewalls. He’s had his fill of this life-giving fluid. I remove him from his restorative soak and place him back with the other members of his type.

This turtle is one of 18 Spotted Box Turtles (Terrapene nelsoni), a species endemic to Mexico,

concealed in a shipment with other Mexican natives. The Spotted Box Turtle is protected from commercial collection by the Mexican government, and its trade regulated at the international level by Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Those regulations, however, didn’t stop smugglers from attempting to move those and other protected species of Mexican turtles across geopolitical borders, first into Texas, then beyond. Their destination: the international black market in wild flora and fauna.

Significant numbers of Florida Box Turtles have been poached and smuggled out of the United States in recent years due to a surge in their market value. PHOTO CREDIT: FLORIDA FISH & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

As lucrative as the illicit trade in drugs and arms, the black market trade in wildlife, including turtles and tortoises, is a seemingly never ending network of money and product procurement. In this realm, money rules the day, and no methods of circumventing domestic and international laws and treaties are off limits. Over the past several decades, as North American countries, states, and provinces tighten regulations for increasingly threatened species, demand for charismatic, beautiful, and difficult-to-acquire species has increased. With this increased demand, prices placed on their heads has also risen.

As with any market, the fate of individuals belonging to a certain species is governed by the simple economics of supply and demand. Because the market for turtles and tortoises is both dynamic and volatile, what species will maintain market value or what new species will be targeted is difficult to gauge. From year to year, the supply and demand changes significantly. However, one thing is certain, no matter what species the current marketplace finds “in vogue,” thousands of our beloved North American turtles are illegally leaving our borders every year to satisfy this demand, and a collective few are making large sums of money doing it.

But there’s hope. As demand and asking price

for certain North American species increase, so too has the pushback from the conservation community. In the last four years, there have been nearly two dozen arrests, indictments, and sentences of individuals in North America participating in the illegal trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles. Some of these cases have been high-profile, receiving significant attention in media outlets, while others, less so. Sentences for the accused have ranged from probation to multiple years in prison. This has occurred primarily due to strengthening of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) resolve on cracking down on illegal turtle trade. As this crackdown increases, however, more confiscations of North American chelonians are being made. These confiscations range from a handful of turtles to hundreds. In recent years, box turtles of the genus Terrapene have made up the bulk of these confiscations due to an increase in their demand for international markets. Other species have been confiscated in generous quantities as well, such as Spotted (Clemmys guttata), North American Wood (Glyptemys insculpta), Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin ssp.), and musk turtles of the genera Sternotherus and Claudius. These confiscated turtles need immediate placement within an authorized temporary or long-term setting, often require veterinary treatment, and, as of now, can only be returned to the wild in

rare instances. As such, available holding for confiscated animals is filling rapidly, with many educational and zoological institutions already unable to take on more animals. The ability to properly and lawfully place these animals has become a burden on FWS and state agency law enforcement.

The question of what to do with these animals long-term has been at the forefront of conversations between the TSA and our many partners in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), Zoological Association of America (ZAA), colleges and universities, conservation non-profits, and state and federal agencies in the last two years. A momentum is building within this community to address the issue and come up with a strategy for both short-term and long-term solutions. It is our collective goal to build a strategy where the turtles not only have a safe haven, but contribute to the conservation of their species. The issue is very complex and takes into account numerous factors such as quarantine, holding space, taxonomy, epidemiology, and land utilization within their native range. Between this year and last, workshops, conferences, symposia, and summits have been held in places like Miami, Florida; Park City, Utah; Tucson, Arizona; and San Diego, California, that focus on, or include this pressing topic of discussion.

Although the issue of confiscation management is not one in which solutions will be immediately found, it is one that we are certain a solution will be found based on bestpractices and taking into account the myriad of both limiting and dynamic factors. Until then, the TSA and our partners will continue to respond, treat, and manage confiscations, while working hand-in-hand with state, provincial, and federal wildlife law enforcement agencies to provide care to turtles in need.

Contact: Jordan Gray, Turtle Survival Alliance, 1030 Jenkins Road, Suite D, Charleston, SC 29407, USA [jgray@ turtlesurvival.org]

This August the San Diego Zoo, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service hosted a Seizures and Confiscations Summit to address the trafficking of flora and fauna and create a management framework for those specimens seized. PHOTO CREDIT: SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL

Ranavirus, Research, and Rehabilitation; The Interconnectedness, Conservation, and Strategies

Southern Ontario has the highest density of turtles in Canada, with all eight species of freshwater turtles listed as At Risk federally. Unfortunately, it also has the highest density of roads, and for many of these species, road mortality is second only to habitat loss as a cause for population declines.

OTCC is located in Peterborough, Ontario. The centre’s hospital serves as its hub, helping to offset some of the effects of road mortality. As the hub, the hospital leads a multi-pronged approach to conservation, addressing conservation issues from many different angles.

The hospital admits, treats, rehabilitates, and releases turtles from all over their range in Ontario and beyond. At the time of this writing, a total of 1441 turtles had been admitted in 2019, through province-wide collaboration with a network of OTCC-trained and supported volunteer veterinarians, who act as first responders to ensure turtles can get timely care across the province. The turtles are then taxied to the OTCC for surgery and ongoing care, via a network of close to 1,000 volunteers. Turtles have a dramatic and effective ability to heal from wounds that no other species can, and can even tolerate spinal damage that would require euthanasia in other species, making rehabilitation very rewarding.

Data from admissions is extremely useful. Not only can the location of origin be utilized by road mortality mitigation projects across the province, but data as simple as the sex of turtles admitted, sheds light on the topic of sex-biased turtle road mortality. Using our temporally unbiased and province-wide data, we find that, annually, as many males

Sue Carstairs

are admitted as females, with the exception being Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica). Whereas female turtles show a peak in admission during the nesting season, males show smaller peaks but are admitted throughout the entire season.

Unlike mammals and birds, the life history of turtles allows for a population effect to be achieved with rehabilitation. Working with James Paterson (liber ero fellow, Trent University) and Christina Davy (SAR

research scientist, MNRF ), we modeled population viability under various scenarios, using demographic estimates from studies on Blanding’s (Emydoidea blandingii) and Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina), and intake records from the OTCC. We found that rehabilitation of injured turtles can slow population declines where vehicle strike rates are high, or stabilize populations where strike rates are low. The data used only included adult turtles released by OTCC, however,

Egg incubation, hatching, and head start provides a second chance at life for turtles whose mothers were hit by automobiles. Here, newly hatched Midland Painted Turtles grapple for the best spot to thermoregulate. PHOTO CREDIT: ONTARIO TURTLE CONSERVATION CENTRE

ONTARIO TURTLE CONSERVATION CENTRE (OTCC)

and did not include the additional benefit of hatchling release and head start.

A head start program became a natural extension of the hospital, ensuring gravid female’s eggs were not lost (over 6,000 eggs collected in 2019!). We felt it important to show that headstarting is also a viable conservation strategy, hence the field work became a natural extension of the hatchling program. We are radio tracking a group of juvenile Blanding’s Turtles post-release, alongside a control group of wild-hatched juveniles. The results are favorable and show that this is adding to recruitment rates into the subadult population. We hope to continue the study through to sexual maturity. Additional collateral benefits of this study include the discovery of a novel population of Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata), as well as population surveys of all other turtle species in the park, and incidental observations of other species, contributing to long-range planning by Ontario Parks.

The OTCC hospital also provides a means for monitoring disease in turtle populations. This first survey of turtles for the presence of Ranavirus has been carried out since 2014. The first two cases were reported in 2018, and it was feared that this may only be the tip of the iceberg. However, in a four-year sampling of 62 turtles representing five different species by the OTCC, and originating across the province, no positive cases were found through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Although PCR was the only test available at the time, we have since been able to continue this study utilizing quantitative PCR, and, 46 samples showed two strong positives and 11 weak positives; all of these were subclinical infections. In sending a selection of these samples back to our original lab, we found that it did pick up strong positives, but not weak ones.

Education is a common thread throughout all OTCC programs; a comprehensive program addresses the general public as well as profes-

sionals in the veterinary, rehabilitation, and governmental realms. Our public education program reaches almost 20,000 people annually, and citizens have thrown themselves into the conservation movement with enthusiasm.

The OTCC is ‘data rich’ and tries to ensure that this data is disseminated where it can be productive for conservation. The combination of all these programs and initiatives strives to help mitigate population losses, increase population recruitment, prevent further losses, and add data to the

scientific community. Our programs are all intertwined, and all relate to each other. This provides them with a greater scope of impact than if they stood alone, and provides OTCC with a stronger means to add to turtle conservation in Ontario and beyond.

Contact: Sue Carstairs, Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, 1434 Chemong Rd #4, Peterborough, ON K9J 6X2, Canada [suecarstairs@sympatico.ca]

Educational outreach is a primary component for the conservation mission of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. PHOTO CREDIT: ONTARIO TURTLE CONSERVATION CENTRE

The shell of a Blanding’s Turtle, a victim of an automobile strike, is stabilized using surgical tape, glue, and zip ties. PHOTO CREDIT: ONTARIO TURTLE CONSERVATION CENTRE

AMERICAN TURTLE OBSERVATORY (ATO)

Practical Landscape Solutions for North American Freshwater Turtles

“The great fact was the land itself…” — Willa Cather

Together, the United States, Canada, and Mexico support roughly one-third of the freshwater turtle species on Earth. Over 137 terminal taxa (a term including species as well as distinct evolutionary lineages) occur in diverse habitats across the North American continent. Many

species of North American turtles are of conservation concern, threatened by a range of factors including climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, pathogens, and collection for pet and food markets. To ensure that viable populations persist on the landscape for generations to come, American Turtle Observatory (ATO) is working to build constituencies for strategic, empirically-driven land conserva-

tion and management. Functional landscapes are probably the most important element of a proactive, evolutionarily consequential, conservation strategy for North American freshwater turtles. The question is: how to identify these landscapes in a scientifically rigorous way, and how to protect them from further degradation?

ATO is strongly committed to the principles

This adult male Spotted Turtle was photographed as part of a population assessment by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission during rangewide regional planning for the species led by ATO and partners. PHOTO CREDIT: MIKE JONES

Liz Willey and Mike Jones

of Conservation Biology; our goal is to preserve the evolutionary trajectories of distinct North American turtle lineages. Many of the taxa we study or work with have not been recognized as full species, such as the Yucatán Box Turtle (Terrapene yucatana), Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri), Gulf Coast Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina major), or the Baja California populations of Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys pallida) but are nevertheless important components of North American turtle richness and diversity.

Founded in 2015, ATO is a network of scientists, researchers, agencies, communities, and landowners implementing conservation strategies for functioning populations of rare or restricted-range species as well as widespread species of greatest conservation need. We also support a small annual grants program and host periodic symposia on the conservation of these and other taxa. We’re closely affiliated with programs and chapters of the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA). It is our hope that ATO will continue to grow through these and

other programs, as well as the implementation of species-based conservation plans. We highlight a few of our projects here:

CONSERVATION PLANNING FOR WIDESPREAD SPECIES OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED

Much of ATO’s work focuses on widespread species of conservation concern (“Species in Greatest Need of Conservation”; SGCN), as determined by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) and the individual Wildlife Action Plans of the U.S. States. In 2014, we completed a Conservation Plan for Blanding’s Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) in partnership with five northeastern states. From 2012–2014, we completed a Status Assessment for North American Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta), and in 2018 we developed a conservation plan for that species in partnership with 13 northeastern states. We’re currently working with collaborators to implement those plans. With partners from Maine to Florida, ATO is working on a regional Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) Status Assessment and

Conservation Plan. Each plan includes an assessment of species distribution based on empirical records and standardized sampling across the region, demographic assessments at key sites, and identifying the highest priority populations, largest threats, and important actions necessary to conserve and manage those highest priority populations. For more information on these regional projects, visit www.northeastturtles.org.

RESTRICTED-RANGE SPECIES

Some species or lineages of turtles occur in small, isolated occurrences. Some of these populations are believed to be at risk of decline or extirpation from various threats or processes. We are working with partners to learn more about selected range-restricted lineages and species, including Baja California populations of the Western Pond Turtle and Yucatán Box Turtles with partners in Mexico, as well as Florida and Gulf Coast Box Turtles and the Arizona Mud Turtle (Kinosternon arizonense) with partners in Florida and Arizona, respectively.

LONG-TERM POPULATION STUDIES

To complement and inform conservation efforts, and learn more about the way landscape dynamics influence turtle populations, we are undertaking long-term population studies at select “observatories” throughout North America. Key studies include a Florida Box Turtle population studied by C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr. in Florida, Spotted Turtle populations studied by Joan Milam and Terry Graham, and Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris) populations studied by Terry Graham and Alison Haskell.

To learn more about ATO’s programs, or to join us, please visit americanturtles.org or northeastturtles.org.

Contact: Liz Willey and Mike Jones, American Turtle Observatory, 90 Whitaker Rd., New Salem, MA [lisabeth.willey@ gmail.com; mtjones@bio.umass.edu]

ATO conducts collaborative field studies of wide-ranging species of greatest conservation need, including the Western Pond Turtles. A young Northern Western Pond Turtle is pictured here. PHOTO CREDIT: MIKE JONES

Shi Haitao, 2019 Behler Turtle Conservation Award Honoree

This year’s prestigious 14th Annual Behler Turtle Conservation Award, generally considered the “Nobel Prize” for turtle conservation and research, honored Professor Shi Haitao, China’s preeminent turtle ecologist and conservationist. Shi has passionately dedicated his career to studying China’s turtles and tortoises and working to prevent their extinction.

Shi began his career in turtle ecology and conservation in the late 1980s as a graduate student working on the Central Asian Tortoise (Agrionemys horsfieldii) in the remote and arid region of Xinjiang Province, in western China. This project was the first true ecological study focused on turtles in China. Although field conditions were tough, this project sparked a fire in him that burns brightly to this day. Shi’s passion for turtles can be seen from his lab and field research to his advocacy efforts for improved conservation policies and protection. In addition to his early work, he has also studied the ecology and life history of nearly one third of the native Chinese turtles. Most notable are surveys he and his students have pursued searching for the nearly extinct Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), the in-depth ecological work on the Four-eyed Turtle (Sacalia quadriocellata), and confirming the existence of a distinctive population of the Vietnamese Black-breasted Leaf Turtle (Geoemyda spengleri) on Hainan Island.

Professor Shi’s early work with turtle research was the first of its kind in China, paving the way for others to study turtles. Most current turtle biologists in China are former students of Professor Shi and his research team at Hainan Normal University

Daniel Gaillard and Anders G.J. Rhodin

(HNU). The turtle research team at HNU has comprised over 50 members, including eight staff, 12 Ph.D. students, and numerous Masters and undergraduate students. These former students have gone on to careers in various fields, including establishing their own turtle research labs at other institutions.

Not only is Professor Shi a pioneering turtle researcher in China, but he is also a pioneer in advocating for their legal protection under the Chinese Wildlife Law. In 2003, he wrote the Action Plan for the conservation of turtles in China, working tirelessly along with his team to fulfill the goals set forth in that Action Plan. Research and boots on the ground conservation are important, but Professor Shi realized that without policy in place to protect turtles, the research would be in vain. Through his efforts, the government has listed roughly one third of native turtle species on their current wildlife protection list, and for the new list currently under revision, roughly 90% of Chinese species will be listed and offered protection. Shi has also helped train officers on proper identification of species, without which enforcement is most difficult. This training led him to write the book, Identification Manual for Turtle Conservation in China. The book includes 31 native and 95 non-native traded turtle species which could be found in China at that time. To date, he has donated over 7,000 copies to various national and international governments and NGOs. To broaden his outreach efforts, he also established the Biodiversity Museum of Hainan, which includes a section specifically devoted to tortoises, and founded the Eco-Environmental Education Center in Hainan Province, with more than 700,000 visitors to date. He also led research efforts to document the scope and enormous scale of turtle farming in China, and discovered that farms were intentionally producing hybrid turtles for the high-end pet trade.

Through the constant long-term efforts of Shi’s team and many associated par-

ties, turtle protection legislation in China has been strengthened and the awareness of government officials and the public of the need for protection of turtles has been improved. This has resulted in an increase in confiscations and enforcement against illegal farming operations. Shi has advocated for continued efforts to make turtles an important object of protection rather than consumption, and to gradually restore the richness of turtles in China.

It is not often you get to meet a pioneer in any professional area and have the honor to work with them, but one of us (Gaillard) has had the recent honor to work with Professor Shi, and the other (Rhodin) has known him since 1999 when they met at the Asian Turtle Trade workshop in Cambodia which served as the opening salvo in the global struggle to protect China’s and Asia’s dwindling turtle populations. Both of us and

other students and colleagues have caught the ember of Professor Shi’s passion for turtle conservation and have continued to work together to create change. Professor Shi’s ability to recruit, train, and inspire students and other professional colleagues is one of the most important aspects of his accomplishments.

In his acceptance speech for the Behler Award, Shi said, “although China has been a cause of the turtle extinction crisis, it is also part of the solution” and urged the global conservation community to work together to save turtles from extinction in the wild. He has been the driving force for turtle conservation in China and his efforts are effecting real change. He deserves the highest accolades and recognition for his accomplishments to date, and strengthened support for his efforts going forward.

PHOTO CREDIT: BERNARD DEVAUX, SOPTOM WANADOO

It Takes Partners to Save A Species: the Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle

Anders G.J. Rhodin, Hugh R. Quinn, Andrew D. Walde, and Brian D. Horne

CREDIT: MASLIM AS-SINGKILY, WCS-IP

The Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi Rhodin 1994) from the small Indonesian island of Rote (= Roti) west of Timor was described as a distinct species in 1994. Since the 1970s, turtles from Rote had been popular in the pet trade, but were then referred to as the more widely spread New Guinea Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina novaeguineae). With its formal description

as a new species, and as an isolated endemic with a very small distribution, the demand from the international pet trade drastically increased. Adding to this crisis was the rapid conversion of much of its critical habitat to agricultural land, along with the introduction of turtle-eating, invasive predatory fishes to the remaining number of small wetlands. By the early 2000s, this

new species was in real trouble, with very few specimens entering the international pet trade, as the populations had been thoroughly decimated.

The Turtle Conservation Fund recognized these threats and funded several early projects aimed at better assessing the species’ distribution, its genetics, as well as

The habituation pond – one of eight artificial ponds located in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, that has been specifically constructed as the head-starting facility for a Rote Island snake-necked turtle reintroduction program. This program is a collaboration amongst the Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Program (WCS-IP), Singapore Zoo, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry/BBKSDA NTT and the government of East Nusa Tenggara. PHOTO

the creation of a conservation action plan. By 2010, no wild turtles could be found on Rote, making the knowledge gained from these earlier projects crucial for the recovery of the species. Another TCF-funded project on the subspecies C. mccordi timorensis, which only survives tenuously in a small population in neighboring Timor-Leste, contributed additional information about the species.

In 2012, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and its partner Wildlife Reserves Singapore, with a team lead by Maslim AsSingkily of WCS Indonesia, began evaluating how C. mccordi could be reintroduced to Rote and brought back from the edge of extinction. WCS surveyed thirteen historical wetlands for the turtles over two years and found no evidence of the species remaining in the wild. During discussions with local villagers, coupled with well-defined habitat criteria, the WCS team identified two lakes that were suitable habitat for reintroduction. The next steps were to establish a predatory fish removal program, which began in 2016. Further, the lakes were protected under a Governor’s decree in 2019, creating a safer environment for the reintroduction program. To also assure the success of the program, customary elders and lake owners in local communities are playing a pivotal role in lake management.

There are a limited number of wild-caught adult C. mccordi remaining in US and European zoos, private collections, as well as an existing breeding program in Indonesia. Hence, the decision was made to reintroduce the species back to Rote through a captive propagation and release program with offspring provided from a global partnership.

Phase 1 of a new larger captive breeding facility has been completed by WCS Indonesia in nearby Kupang, Timor. Captivebred turtles from several organizations and zoos from around the globe will be provided

to form the nucleus of a breeding colony there. The conservation plan also calls for protection of multiple wetland habitats on Rote, the reintroduction of 500 captive-bred turtles over ten years, and long-term monitoring of released animals.

Conservation programs such as the one described here must be based on sound science, have excellent local community support, represent long-term efforts, continually evaluate their effectiveness and adjust accordingly, be multifaceted, and, very importantly, have a partnership-based approach. Much more can be accomplished through partnerships than through solo efforts. The Turtle Conservation Fund was instrumental in providing important seed funding for the early work, which has now turned into a global conservation effort being led by WCS. The recovery of this species will rely on continued funding from the international conservation community.

Key partners in the venture to date include

the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Program, the Indonesian Department of Forestry NTT, the Forestry Research Institute of Kupang, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, the Natural Resource Conservation Agency of East Nusa Tenggara, the Nusa Cendana University, the Rote Ndao Government, and Wildlife Reserves Singapore. Other participating organizations offering captive-bred stock to the program include, among others, the AZA Chelonian Taxon Advisory Group, the Turtle Survival Alliance, Turtle Conservancy, Turtle Island, and Nordens Ark. It takes multiple partners working together towards the same goals to save a species; hopefully, their efforts on behalf of the Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle will be successful.

Contact: Anders G.J. Rhodin, Chelonian Research Foundation, 168 Goodrich St., Lunenburg, MA 01462 USA [rhodincrf@ aol.com]; Hugh R. Quinn, Turtle Conservation Fund [DoubleHQ@aol.com]

The reintroduction plan for the species will utilize a captive propagation and release program with offspring provided from a global partnership. PHOTO CREDIT: CRIS HAGEN

Drink Beer. Save Turtles®.

David Hedrick

Back in 2014, a new idea was born. A blending of two of the most compelling things on earth. One, a group of animals containing hundreds of species, products of millions of years of evolution. The other, a fermented beverage once revered as a nectar from the gods. The one, contemplated in the company of the other, brings about the likes of an event that has never been seen before.

In 2014 the first Drink Beer. Save Turtles.® event was conceived and brought forth. In their simplest incarnations, DBST events take place at breweries or taprooms, and involve educational outreach with live turtles and tortoises presented by knowledgeable handlers such as Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) staff. In addition, the sale of beer and TSA merchandise to event attendees provides fundraising that benefits the Turtle Survival Alliance and their mission of “zero turtle extinctions in the 21st century,” while also facilitating outreach.

In the several years since those first events, their format has been refined and diversified, while keeping the two essential elements: beer and turtles. Turtle Survival Alliance’s DBST program works directly with local breweries and a wide variety of other, varied partners. These include other conservation organizations, taprooms, bars, restaurants, herpetological societies, zoos, aquariums, and breweries with multi-state distribution. More recently, an ever-increasing number of local chapters of the American Association of Zookeepers (AAZK) across the country are coming together for beer and conservation and hosting their own DBST events.

To further add to the events, TSA has created a whole line of DBST merchandise that ebbs, flows, and grows as new events and beers are created, each event having its own designs, which are as diverse as beer label art. Shirts, hats, stickers, and glasses are sold at DBST events and are also available in TSA’s online store.

We started with just two events in 2014; by the end of 2019, we will have had at least twenty Drink Beer. Save Turtles.® events across the country! DBST is proving to be a very effective way to reach an important demographic with a high quality event that puts the mission of the Turtle Survival Alliance center stage and brings people face to face with these amazing creatures.

COUNTY LINE ON THE LAKE BBQ – AUSTIN, TX

SALTWATER COWBOYS – CHARLESTON, SC

HUNTER-GATHERER BREWING – COLOMBIA, SC

INGENIOUS BREWING – HOUSTON, TX

RUSTY BULL BREWING – CHARLESTON, SC

EDMUND’S OAST BREWING – CHARLESTON, SC

NICO OYSTERS + SEAFOOD – MT. PLEASANT, SC

LOW TIDE BREWING – CHARLESTON SC HOLY CITY BREWING – CHARLESTON, SC

COPPER KETTLE BREWING – DENVER, CO

THE ROOST BAR ‘N GRILLE –CHARLESTON, SC

INTUITION ALE WORKS –JACKSONVILLE, FL

SPOONWOOD BREWING –PITTSBURGH, PA

The Bedrock of Conservation

Jordan Gray

Education. It’s the lifeblood of conservation. The bedrock from which all aspects are made possible. Without it, there would be no scientists or field technicians to collect quantitative data, no academics to disseminate valuable knowledge on ecosystems and the species which inhabit them, no law enforcement officers protecting our natural world’s resources, no funding for conservation initiatives, no domestic or international treaties…the list goes on and on. Simply put, education is the most valuable tool we have in our arsenal to ensure wildlife and wild places continue to exist on this planet. At the Turtle Survival Alliance, we understand the fundamental value of education and both its direct and indirect impact on conservation. Our global outreach, through range-country programs, aims to ignite a passion in all ages by creating an experience whose impact will pay dividends for our natural world. Through outreach events, fundraisers, group presentations, lectures, and school visits and field trips, our staff and associates across the globe provide direct interaction with turtles and tortoises; bridging the gap by sharing knowledge with those in our communities. From young children to adults, we strive to connect with the inquisitiveness and potential in everyone around us and create catalytic moments for those eager to learn. The future of conservation, the future of turtles, depends on it.

Shahriar Caesar Rahman (left) introduces villagers to an Elongated Tortoise in Bangladesh. PHOTO CREDIT: SCOTT TRAGESER/NATURESTILLS LLC

Children get hands-on experience during Spring Kids Day at Wildlife Action, Inc. in South Carolina. PHOTO CREDIT: JORDAN GRAY

The TSA’s outreach program educates and inspires students of all ages and group sizes. PHOTO CREDIT: AMY SKLAR

School children in Myanmar interact with a Burmese Star Tortoise. PHOTO CREDIT: ME ME SOE

We Are the TSA

MATT PATTERSON

Location: New Ipswich, NH

Occupation: Wildlife Artist

How did you get involved in giving back to conservation through painting?

I feel it’s crucial to not just document these marvelous species through art, but even more importantly, to try and have a hand in saving them from extinction. That’s why I often create artwork specifically for which to donate its proceeds to conservation. My art is my way of sharing with others what I love, especially turtles and tortoises. Many of these amazing and beautiful species are unfamiliar, even mysterious, to the general public. Unfortunately, not everyone knows about the threat of extinction many species face. My art is a way of spotlighting the situation for people. They might not be turtle people to start with, but hopefully, their interest sparked, they’ll turn turtle

soon! Interest leads to education and education leads to conservation.

What’s a day in the life at your woodland studio like?

My studio is a small cabin that I built several years ago set behind my house in the woods. With lots of windows (all salvaged), it is heated by a small wood stove. The walls are all rustic, rough cut pine, and it’s a fun and creative space to work in. Often, I can see wildlife walk by the window while I’m painting. A typical day starts with me heading out early to light the stove. Once it heats up, I head in with my two dogs, Monte and Roo, and begin working. I paint from early in the morning to the evening, but often when I’m working on something I am particularly excited about (particularly, turtle/tortoise paintings) I can continue on into the night. Throughout the day, I take short breaks and head off into the woods with the dogs. I especially love being in my studio during the winter while the snow is falling, and in the spring, when I can hear the sounds of nearby wood frogs and spring peepers.

Tell us about your recent trip to Madagascar and the impact it made on you personally and professionally.

Traveling to Madagascar and seeing Radiated Tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) in the wild while living out of a tent in their spiny forest habitat was a life-changing experience. With my work, I really want to represent these animals in their natural habitat and emphasize the beauty of both the tortoise and the spiny forest. Seeing the thousands of confiscated tortoises at the Tortoise Conservation Center and learning firsthand about the extinction crisis facing them was really eye-opening. Being in Madagascar was like being in a whole different

world and is something I will never forget. The heat was intense, the insects were huge, everything had spines...and I loved every second of it. It just furthers my desire to promote conservation through my work.

Hometown: Antananarivo Madagascar

Occupation: Finance Manager, TSA Madagascar

How did you get involved with the TSA-Madagascar program and why?

Being a member of CETAMADA (Whale watching), and having a relationship with the Alliance Voahary Gasy, I contributed to the fight by following activities against reported trafficking of wildlife on TV and in newspapers. Through this, I discovered the job with TSA, not knowing exactly what it was, and applied. During Rick Hudson’s

HANTA RASOANAIVO

visit in 2018, I received a call from the TSA National Coordinator to set up a skype interview. Combining my financial management skills in the World Bank-funded project (PIC Project) and my responsibilities at a tree nursery in my hometown, I was able to integrate this organization with a new approach to perspectives on nature conservation. The TSA Madagascar program is large and complex, spread out over multiple locations. I see my role with TSA as largely organizational, putting more efficient administrative processes in place to make things work smoother, making sure that we are in legal compliance with Malagasy laws and regulations and ensuring financial accountability by our employees. This job is challenging in many ways, but I enjoy big challenges and this position certainly provides that.

What inspires you to continue your work on behalf of the country’s tortoises?

From time to time, I heard of seized turtles from the South and it sickened me to see them treated badly. For me, preserving biodiversity – and Madagascar’s is splendid - is an obligation for everyone, to raise awareness of the value of our unique wealth in the world. Perseverance is key, and hope makes you live. I continue to fight illegal exploitation of these rare species. My recent visit to southern Madagascar opened my eyes to the reality of the traditional protection of tortoises based on “fady” and the harsh environment where the Mahafaly and Tandroy people live but yet they continue to respect the taboo. I think we should learn from their way of life in biodiversity conservation. Where do you feel the current direction for the conservation of Madagascar’s turtles and tortoises is heading? Is there hope?

Madagascar has some of the most beautiful tortoise species in the world. In recent years, there has been considerable turtle traffick-

ing, and it is still occurring. I feel without involvement of stakeholders, there always will be. These natural beauties are threatened by the destruction of their habitat, victim of poaching for their meat and illegal collection by traffickers. There needs to be a well-defined strategy in place, and a strong awareness among the nation to combat the problem. Justice must be served for everyone, including small and large traffickers. Strong political will contributes to protection of our resources, and the law must be enforced. Without the TSA program in the south I think tortoise poaching would continue without interruption and the future for Madagascar’s tortoises would be very bleak.

DENISE THOMPSON

Hometown: Springfield, Missouri

Occupation: PhD Candidate at Oklahoma State University; Research Associate at Missouri State University

What is your earliest childhood memory with a turtle or tortoise?

My fascination with turtles first started with a visit to Mote Marine Laboratory in

Sarasota, FL. There was a blind Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) in one of the tanks nicknamed “Hang Tough,” and I fell in love with her right away. I also recall watching the staff at Mote draw blood from sea turtles on that trip and thought, “I want to do that someday.” Fifteen years later I landed my first post-college internship at Mote and worked with the same Green Sea Turtle that captivated me as a child. Now, I often draw blood from turtles and tortoises for my own research.

How did you first come to be involved with the TSA?

I attended the annual TSA symposium in 2012 as a Master’s student where I presented my research on the nesting behavior and ecology of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii). I was deeply impressed with the organization and members’ enthusiasm for and commitment to turtle research and conservation. It was here that I discovered the incredible diversity of turtles and tortoises around the world and decided that this was an organization I would like to be involved with for years to come.

What is your proudest moment thus far regarding your involvement in turtle conservation efforts?

To date, I am most proud of the work I’ve done with the Alligator Snapping Turtle head-start program at Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery. The primary focus of my research has been studying their reproductive ecology to help inform management decisions for the species at the captive breeding facility and reintroduction sites. Looking forward, I am most excited about the longterm potential of my work, marking and maintaining the individual identity of turtles from when they were embryos onward. I think this endeavor will provide important insights into the ecology of the species at reintroduction sites where we are conducting long-term population monitoring.

2019 INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Deadline for summer 2020 internship application is December 31, 2019. Deadline for fall 2020 internship application is March 31, 2020.

The Chelonian Internship Program is perfect for undergraduate and graduate students who plan to pursue a career in conservation and captive management of turtles and tortoises.

Key Benefits:

• Gain hands-on experience with the day-to-day operations of a chelonian conservation center.

• Build husbandry skills for ex situ conservation for some of the most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles in the world.

• Garner firsthand experience with enclosure design and construction geared toward animal husbandry.

• Develop basic veterinary care techniques as they apply to captive chelonian husbandry.

For more information, including responsibilities, expectations, qualifications, costs, and how to apply contact Clinton Doak at cdoak@turtlesurvival.org

The TSA’s Turtle Survival Center Internship program o ers a unique opportunity for students and turtle enthusiasts alike. Our interns meet and communicate with nationally known turtle biologists and conservationists, and will work in a facility unlike any other in the world. Interns who are chosen will be given exclusive exposure to species of turtles that they would not be privileged to see anywhere else in the United States, and will be given the opportunity to learn about the care and maintenance that is carefully tailored to each one. The TSC’s internship allows its participants to have unparalleled involvement in the world of turtle conservation. Interns have participated in the North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group’s (NAFTRG) field sampling in Florida, and have attended our internationally hosted conference. Introductions and experiences during time spent at the TSC are unique and often help set the course for future careers in conservation. Mandi Moxie, a 2018 intern who returned in 2019 as a seasonal employee commented, “During my internship I was able to learn the day to day requirements of being a chelonian keeper at the Turtle Survival Center… My involvement with the TSC last year gave me the opportunity to propose and conduct a research study during my stay in 2019”

Become A TSA Member

The TSA works with more than 100 (approximately one-third) of the tortoise and freshwater turtle species around the globe.

The TSA directly impacts 20 of the World’s Top 25 Most Endangered Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles.

This e ort is supported by a global network of conservationists, field biologists, animal care technicians, veterinarians, governmental and non-governmental organizations, private stakeholders, citizen scientists, and YOU, our loyal supporter.

As a TSA member, you will receive our annual publication, bi-weekly e-newsletter, discounted conference registration, opportunities with the TSA’s North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group, and other exclusive benefits throughout the year. TSA members also enjoy a 10% discount every day on most items in the TSA’s online store. Most importantly, your support directly moves us closer to our goal of “zero turtle extinctions!”

Joining has never been easier as we have five levels of membership (figures represent annual dues):

• Individual ($50)

• Student ($25)

• Senior ($25)

• North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group ($30)

• Organizational ($400)

*If you would like to make your membership “green” we also have membership levels that will not receive a hard copy of the TSA’s annual publication by mail, but instead an electronic version!

Become a TSA member at www.turtlesurvival.org.

Once you’re a member, log into your membership account and select “Member Benefits” from the dropdown menu to learn about additional o ers and rewards throughout the year.

Thank you for your support!

The TSA is a global family of turtle conservationists. This summer, TSA sta and range-country program leaders celebrated 18 years toward our mission of zero turtle extinctions in Tucson, Arizona. PHOTO CREDIT: BREE TEATS

Help Conserve Turtles and Tortoises for Future Generations

Our "Zero Turtle Extinctions Legacy Circle" is an honorary association that recognizes individuals whose planned gift has been received or been established to provide a future benefit to the Turtle Survival Alliance.

Provide for the future needs of our mission by naming the Turtle Survival Alliance as a beneficiary in your estate plans. A gift to the "Zero Turtle Extinctions Legacy Circle" will insure that the Turtle Survival Alliance continues its mission of zero turtle extinctions for years to come. Thank you for taking the time to explore the benefits of gift planning, including life income gifts, gift annuities, mutual funds, real estate, life insurance, and other plans.

Support the Turtle Survival Alliance by donating to the TSA Stewardship Fund. Your gift will have a significant impact on the future by helping to provide an ongoing income.

For additional information on the "Zero Turtle Extinctions Legacy Circle" or planned giving options, please contact Rick Hudson, President, at rhudson@turtlesurvival.org

Ways to support The Turtle Survival Alliance

1. Make a Donation Your support moves us closer to a goal of zero turtle extinctions

2. Join the TSA Become a member of the TSA or buy a gift membership for a friend.

3. Purchase Equipment Check out the TSA’s Wish List on Amazon.com to purchase equipment and supplies that are needed by our sta at the Turtle Survival Center and in the field.

4. Shop at turtlesurvival.org Visit the TSA’s online store to purchase t-shirts, art, publications, and other merchandise to support conservation projects around the world.

5. Volunteer Visit the TSA website for volunteer opportunities.

6. Support the TSA at No Extra Cost to You There are several programs available through which you can support the TSA’s mission by doing what you do every day!

• Amazon.com – Access amazon.com via the TSA link (http://bit.ly/tsa_amazon) and a portion of your purchase will be donated to turtle conservation.

• eBay – The TSA is part of the eBay Giving Works program. So, you can support our mission when you buy and sell on eBay.

• Good Search – What if the TSA earned a donation every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? It can, with Good Search. www.goodsearch.com/nonprofit/turtle-survival-alliance

There are many ways that YOU can contribute to turtle conservation and support the TSA’s mission of zero turtle extinctions. Visit turtlesurvival.org.

The future of turtle conservation in Myanmar: the next generation. Introducing Akhayar Platt. PHOTO CREDIT: HTUN THU

Thank you for your support!

We wish to acknowledge the individuals and organizations who donated to support the Turtle Survival Alliance between 1 November 2018 and 31 October 2019.

$100,000+

Alan and Patricia Koval Foundation

Anonymous

Fagus Foundation

Timothy Gregory/Gregory Family Charitable Fund

$50,000-99,999

Felburn Foundation

IUCN – Save our Species (SOS)

Utah’s Hogle Zoo

$25,000-49,999

Fort Worth Zoo

Foundation Segré

Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens

San Diego Zoo Global

Roy Young/Nature’s Own

$10,000-24,999

Aktionsgemeinschaft Artenschutz (AGA) e.V.

Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. Brooks

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Dallas Zoo

Detroit Zoo

Mohammed bin Zayed Species

Conservation Fund

Peoples Trust for Endangered Species

Riverbanks Zoo

Sedgwick County Zoo

St. Louis Zoo

The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation

Turtle Conservation Fund

Virginia Zoo

Wildlife Conservation Society

Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc.

$5,000-9,999

Jay and Jane Allen

Barbara Brewster Bonner

Charitable Fund

Eddie Bartley

Deborah Behler

British Chelonia Group

Cincinnati Zoo AAZK Chapter

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Conservation International

Detroit Zoo AAZK Chapter

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Ed Neil Charitable Fund

Farallon Island Foundation

Frankel Family Foundation

Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Greater New Orleans Foundation (Epiphany Fund)

Greensboro Science Center

Owen Griffiths/Francois Leguat Ltd.

Hess Corporation

William Holmstrom

David Hutchison

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

John D. Mitchell

Nashville Zoo

Natural Encounters Conservation Fund

Perth Zoo

Walter Sedgwick

Wildlife Reserves Singapore

Zoo Knoxville

$1,000-4,999

Ellen S. Anderson

Andrew Sabin Family Foundation

Association of Zoos and Aquariums

Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix Zoo

Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation

Auckland Zoo Foundation

Australasia Zoo & Aquarium Association

Wildlife Conservation Fund

Birmingham Zoo

Brian Bolton

Brookfield Zoo AAZK Chapter

Bruce Weber

Buffalo Zoo

Cameron Park Zoo

William Cato

Charleston Boutique Warehouse

Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo

Justin Clickett

County Line on the Lake

Greenville Zoo

Robin De Bled

Desert Tortoise Council

Disney Voluntears Ears to You

Fetch, Inc.

Christian Fischer

Friends of the Alexandria Zoo

Friends of the Topeka Zoo

Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo

Fripp Island Resort

Gerald M. and Elizabeth A. Kennings Foundation

Global Wildlife Conservation

Global Wildlife Trust, Inc

Nathan Haislip

Henry Doorly Zoo

Ingenious Brewing Company, LLC

John Iverson

Jacksonville Zoo AAZK Chapter

John Ball Zoo

Jill Jollay

Robert C. Krause

Lee Richardson Zoo

Little Rock Zoo

Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association

Low Tide Brewing

Luther King Capital Management

Brandon Martin

Matt Patterson/Stoneridge Art Studios

George Meyer

Milwaukee County Zoo

Minnesota Zoo/U.S. Seal Conservation Fund

Moody Gardens, Inc.

North Carolina Zoo

Ocean Wise Conservation Association

Parken Zoo

Pat’s Legacy

Anders Rhodin/Chelonian Research Foundation

Viviana Ricardez

Rotterdam Zoo

San Antonio Zoo

Santa Fe College

David Shapiro

Snake Discovery YouTube

Sparsholt College

Spoonwood Brewing LLC

Brett & Nancy Stearns

SWCA Environmental Consultants

St. Augustine Alligator Farm

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

The Merck Foundation

Turtle Conservancy

Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium

Woodland Park Zoo

Diane Yoshimi

Zoo Granby

Zoo Knoxville

Zoo Miami

In Kind

Acurite

Jay and Jan Allen

AppRiver

Nick Badham

Beau Bradley/Rockscapes

Phil Bradley

Crescent Gardens

Doris Dimmitt

Dan Dombrowski

King’s Landing

Limehouse Produce

Dave Manser/Ponds and Plants

Carol McFall

Mepkin Abbey

Midlands X-Ray

Diana Soteropoulos

Wekiwa Island

WREN Consulting

While space limits us from listing all of our donors, we are grateful for every gift that makes our work possible. We gratefully acknowledge our donors for their support and generosity.

Every effort has been made to accurately recognize our donors. If any errors have occurred, please accept our sincere apology and contact our office at (843) 724-9763 with any corrections.

Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle (Mesoclemmys dahli). The Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle is endemic to the tropical dry forest of Colombia, where much of its habitat has been converted for agriculture and livestock pastureland. This year, the TSA, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Rainforest Trust secured a 120-hectare (296 acre) parcel in San Benito Abad, Sucre, Colombia, which will serve as the first-ever reserve dedicated to the preservation of the Dahl’s Toad-headed Turtle. PHOTO CREDIT: GUIDO MIRANDA (WCS)