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TurTle Survival alliance
An IUCN Partnership Network for Sustainable Captive Management of Freshwater Turtles & Tortoises www.TurtleSurvival.org
auGuST 2007
A
Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa) (See page 4)
BrIAN D. HorNe
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Welcome to the seventh TSA newsletter and our fifth annual Symposium on Conservation and Biology of Tortoises
and Freshwater Turtles, the second held in conjunction with the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist
Group (TFTSG). Each year, this gathering gives us the opportunity to reflect on the year's successes and the
challenges ahead. Last year's conference in St. Louis was truly a watershed event, and we predict that the Turtle &
Tortoise Symposium will grow to become the premiere gathering for chelonian biologists and enthusiasts. This
symposium is acquiring a distinctly international flavor, and we are particularly heartened by the steadily growing
number of foreign turtle biologists in attendance each year. As our symposium grows, so do the costs, so we
are particularly grateful to all who contributed to sponsor speaker travel or support evening events and coffee
breaks. And as always, for their continued support and generosity, we graciously thank both Reptiles magazine and
ZooMed, Inc.
We strive to keep the articles in the TSA newsletter upbeat, and use the space to report conservation success
stories and positive happenings. However, Gerald Kuchling's report on a recent visit to the Qing Ping market in
Guangzhou, China (see p. 8) is disturbing and needs to be told. It underscores the optimistic news from the Asian
markets last year. There are still many wild caught turtles, many of them CITES listed, appearing in the markets.
Some time ago, we reported a shift toward farm raised turtles in Chinese markets with reliable estimates that wild-
caught numbers had decreased to to of turtles sold. But Gerald's report is distressing because of the number
of IUCN Red Listed Critically Endangered turtles (five) there. Turtles from Myanmar make up the majority of
wild-caught specimens now offered for sale, indicating that viable trade routes are open and expanding. That 90
Arakan Forest Turtles, Heosemys depressa, and a lone female Burmese Roofed Turtle, Kachuga trivittata, were seen
emphasizes the scope of the trade. Too many Cuora galbinifrons from Vietnam show up in markets and there
continues to be an active trade in both Manouria impressa and Manouria emys. And to make matters worse, the
markets are using increasingly barbaric methods of processing live tortoises, photos of which easily sicken hardened
biologists. As disturbing as this story is, it's one that needs to be told because it confirms that we are still entrenched
in a serious battle to save Asia's turtles. The illegal trade in China continues to threaten the survival of many Asian
turtle species, and the legal trade extends to the US, where efforts are underway to stem the tide of native turtles
being sent to China for food and to stock farming operations. We hope that this information will serve to steel your
resolve to put an end to this carnage, and strengthen your commitment to turtle conservation and the TSA.
Restructuring: In February 2007 the TSA Steering Committee held a strategic planning meeting hosted by Disney.
We adopted a new mission statement that we feel better reflects who we are and how we operate; we hope you
approve: Transforming passion for turtles into effective conservation action through a global network of living
collections and recovery programs. We also expanded the Steering Committee, nearly doubling the number of
members to 25. This is part of a reorganization that now includes six standing committees, each working somewhat
autonomously to more effectively utilize the talents of our core volunteer group. Those committees include Animal
Management, Field Conservation, Development, Communications, Membership and Annual Conference.
The TSA's range country programs continue to expand in India and Myanmar, and we are also actively supporting
and participating in projects in Thailand, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Mexico. Our work in range
states has been greatly enhanced by the $100,000 Batchelor Foundation grant in 2005, and we are expecting to
hear positive news on the second round of funding in August 2007. We are also particularly excited about our
relationship with the EAZA Shellshock campaign. Recently we have partnered with, or leveraged matching funds
from Shellshock to advance programs and build new facilities in Cambodia, India, and Myanmar.

We are pleased to announce that our membership program, now in its third year is growing, and that we have
more than 250 members both individuals and institutions that provide a steady stream of operating revenue.
To better serve and inform this growing member base and to help spread TSA's message, look for a new look and
reworked TSA website coming soon.
As always, thanks for your support of the TSA. Together we can and must put our passion for turtles to work for
their survival.
Rick Hudson and Dwight Lawson
Co-Chairs, Turtle Survival Alliance
In This Issue
F e a t u r e s
4
Cover Story
5
John L. Behler Chelonian Conservation Center
6
Bolson Tortoise
8
China Market
10
Alligator Snapper Release
12
ICCT
14
Forsten's Tortoise Medical Mangement
15
Zoo News
R a n g e C o u n t r y P r o g r a m s
16
Cambodia Bagatur
18
Malaysia Bagatur
19
Thailand Chitra
20
Myanmar Field Report
22
Myanmar Kachuga
24
Mexico Dermatemys
26
India
30
China Rafetus
32
Vietnam
C o n s e r v a t i o n F u n d i n g i n A c t i o n
34
TSA Partner Grants
35
Disney Cambodia Grant Update
36
TSA Seed Grant Phillippine Forest Turtle
38
Turtle Conservation Fund
39
Batchelor Foundation
S c h o l a r s h i p P r o g r a m s
40
Asian Scholarship Program
S i g n i f i c a n t B r e e d i n g s
41
Significant Breedings
turtle survival alliance august 2007
august 2007 turtle survival alliance
TURTLE SURVIVAL
ALLIANCE BOARD
rick Hudson
Co-Chair Executive Committee
TSA US Co-Chair
Dwight lawson
Co-Chair Executive Committee
TSA US Co-Chair
chris Banks
Executive Committee
TSA Australia
Kevin Buley
Executive Committee
TSA Europe Vice-Chair
Hans Dieter Philippen
Executive Committee
TSA Europe Vice-Chair
Hank Zwartepoorte
Executive Committee
TSA Europe Chair
anders rhodin
Ex-officio Executive Committee
IUCN TFTSG Chair
u.S. Steering committee
Sheri Ashley
Sandra Binns
Don Boyer
Kurt Buhlmann
Andy Daneault
Scott Davis
Orlando Diaz-Figueroa
Ray Farrell
Greg Fleming
Greg George
Brian Horne
Julia Knox
Heather Lowe
Lonnie McCaskill
Bill Ninesling
Hugh Quinn
Sam Rivera
Chuck Schaffer
Paul vander Schouw
Darrell Senneke
Brett Stearns
Chris Tabaka
Bill Zeigler
DeSIgN & LAyoUT: JoHN BINNS www.IrCF.org
From the TSA Co-Chairs
INTerNATIoNAL rePTILe CoNServATIoN FoUNDATIoN
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A U g UST 2007 TSA N ew SL e TT er 2007 TSA
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
turtle survival alliance august 2007
The trend may be improving for the
Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa)
in captivity, long considered a delicate and
difficult-to-maintain species. Among TSA
partners a successful hatching occurred at the
Behler Chelonian Center in Ojai, California,
and a female belonging to Dwight Lawson
nest mounded and deposited a clutch of 21
eggs on 18 June 2007. Ironically, an Impressed
Tortoise in Europe nested around the same
time. Unfortunately this beautiful tortoise
continues to be harvested for markets in
China and is showing up now in confiscated
shipments in Myanmar.
cover Story
Hopes are high for the future of the beleaguered impressed Tortoise
John l. Behler chelonian conservation center
The John L. Behler Chelonian Conservation Center (JLBCCC) has
achieved some significant results since its our inception in October
2005. All animals have acclimated nicely to their planted outdoor and
indoor enclosures, resulting in numerous breeding attempts and several
fertile clutches of eggs.

The following is a list of hatchlings, including some firsts at our center:

24 Radiated Tortoise (Geochelone radiata).

7 Spotted Pond Turtle (Geoclemys hamiltoni), hatched from a clutch of 18 eggs.

1 Speckled Padloper (Homopus signatus signatus), a first for the center in 2006.

16 Burmese Star Tortoise (Geochelone platynota).

1 Bowsprit Tortoise (Chersina angulata).

1 Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa).
Two notable firsts in 2007 are the Bowsprit Tortoise (Chersina angulata) and the Impressed
Tortoise (Manouria impressa), both rarely bred in captivity.
The center maintains a group of 1.2 Chersina angulata in planted outdoor and indoor
enclosures where the tortoises are able to browse on natural vegetation. In mid-November
2006 a female laid a single large egg , which was incubated in a closed plastic container at 5:1
vermiculite to water ratio at 30 C for 96 days. The egg hatched on 19 February 2007 and the
hatchling weighed 12 grams and measured 33 mm in carapace length (see photo).
The center maintains a group of 6.7 adult Manouria impressa in large planted outdoor and
indoor enclosures. These tortoises mainly feed on oyster mushrooms, but do occasionally
browse on the plants in their enclosures, such as pothos. A female laid a clutch of 18 eggs on
3 December 2006. Many of the eggs were dimpled initially, but all were incubated in a closed plastic container at 1:1 vermiculite to water
ratio at 25.5 C. Some of the eggs lost their dimples and only one began to develop and later hatched on 14 March 2007. Unfortunately,
this hatchling did not absorb its yolk sac and died 15 days later. This represents only the second time that this difficult species has bred in the
U.S. and hopefully heralds much future breeding success at our center.
The JLBCCC strives to maintain all its tortoises in as natural conditions as possible by providing them with outdoor planted enclosures, when
weather permits, in the spring, summer, fall and sometimes sunny southern California winter days, as weather permits. In order to
mimic their natural habitats, all indoor and outdoor enclosures are planted with numerous species of plants that allow
the tortoises to browse and forage freely. We strongly believe that the most important factor contributing to our
reproductive success is that we provide our tortoises with the most natural conditions that we possibly can.
Homopus signatus signatus
Chersina angulata
Burmese Star Tortoise (Geochelone platynota)
Behler chelonian center hatches some notable firsts in 2007
Terry CHrISToPHerTerry CHrISToPHerTerry CHrISToPHerBrIAN D. HorNe
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
Bolson Tortoise
reintroducing the Bolson Tortoise into its former range
The
Bolson
Tortoise
(Gopherus
flavomarginatus) has declined to near
extinction since the end of the Pleistocene
about 10,000 years ago. Formerly ranging
throughout much of the Chihuahuan Desert
from northern Durango in Mexico to Arizona
in the United States, it is now restricted to the
Bolson de Mapim, an interior basin located
where the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila,
and Durango meet. Here it is regarded as one
of the world's rarest tortoises. Not discovered
by science until 1959, it was the subject of
many research and conservation efforts from
the 1970s through the 1990s under the
leadership of such scientists as David Morafka
and Gustavo Aguirre. After something of a
lull in the years since then, the tortoise is now
the subject of renewed efforts by Mexican
and American conservation biologists and
managers. In particular, the long-term goal
of our efforts is to reestablish the tortoise
throughout much of its former range.
The Turner Endangered Species Fund and
the John L. Behler Chelonian Conservation
Center jointly sponsor our work with
ross Kiester, Myles Traphagen, and James Juvik
support from the Desert Tortoise Council
and the Turtle Survival Alliance. We envision
a comprehensive approach that asks the
question: What do we need to know and
what support do we need to have to be able
to meet our goal of rewilding the Bolson
Tortoise? Our program consists of four
components:
1. ensure the security and sustainability
of
the resident Bolson de Mapim
population.
Most of the current range of the tortoise is in
the Mapim Biosphere Reserve designated by
the Federal Government of Mexico to protect
the tortoise and the rest of the extraordinary
biodiversity found here. The Biosphere
Reserve, which is part of the United Nations
Man and the Biosphere Program, has a core
area of over 28,000 hectares and a buffer zone
of more than 300,000 hectares. The Reserve is
managed by La Comisin Nacional de reas
Naturales Protegidas (CONANP at www.
conanp.gob.mx). As with other Reserves in
Mexico, the government does not own the
land, but rather creates a management plan
and works with existing local landowners to
enforce it. The plan for the Mapim Reserve
was completed in 2006 and can be found
at the CONANP website. The activities
under the plan range from reduction of
cattle grazing to environmental education to
tourism. Monitoring is a major component.
Our work on the Reserve will be to support
various aspects of the plan. We are particularly
interested in resurveying areas that were
censused by David Morafka and Bruce Bury
in the 1980s.
The Instituto de Ecologa runs the Laboratorio
del Desierto in the Reserve which has been
the home to Bolson Tortoise research since
1978. Now there is a small captive breeding
program underway. We are planning to lend
support to this effort this summer.
We are also pursuing the possibility of direct
land purchase within the Biosphere Reserve.
A 6000 hectare parcel with many (perhaps
2000) tortoises may be for sale. Because the
Mexican government cannot own land, we
are pursuing other options.
2. understand the mechanisms of decline
of the tortoise over the last 10,000 years.
The decline of the Bolson Tortoise is part
of the general scientific question of the
extinction of large vertebrates in North
America at the end of the Pleistocene. Did
early Native Americans exterminate it or did
climate and vegetation change play a role? The
answer to this question is important because
if Pleistocene overkill is the answer, then
reintroduction should be straightforward
since the cause of decline has been removed.
On the other hand, if climate change has
played a role, then some areas of the former
range may no longer be suitable.
3. Develop captive breeding to the
point where it could supply animals for
reintroduction.
In the fall of 2006, 30 Bolson Tortoises were
translocated from the Audubon Appleton-
Whittell Research Ranch in Elgin, Arizona,
to the Armendaris Ranch in south central
New Mexico. Here they are managed by
the Turner Endangered Species Fund. These
tortoises are known as the Appleton tortoises
in commemoration of Ariel Appleton, a
champion of Bolson tortoise conservation.
She had obtained them from David Morafka
in 1973. The tortoises range in age from
about 10 to 60 years of age and weigh 2.2
kg to 11.5 kg. Seven hatchlings recovered in
2006 from these tortoises are being raised on
the Ladder Ranch in New Mexico. In 2007
more than 20 eggs have been identified by
x-ray.
4. create the political and managerial
constituencies for the support of rewilding
in Mexico and the united States.
David Morafka first proposed reintroducing
Bolson Tortoises in Big Bend National
Park over 20 years ago. We have restarted
discussions with managers at the Big Bend
National Park and begun discussions with
other areas in Texas as well as with their
counterparts across the Rio Grande. The idea
of reintroducing Bolson Tortoises now seems
like an idea whose time has come. On our
time scale rewilding will take a long time,
on the tortoises's time scale perhaps less so as
their Holocene nightmare comes to an end.
turtle survival alliance august 2007
JAMeS o. JUvIkJAMeS o. JUvIkA Bolson Tortoise near its burrow, Bolson de Mapimi, Mexico.
Below: Entry sign for the Bolson de
Mapimi Biosphere Reserve.
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
china Market
Turtle market survey in china reveals disturbing number of Myanmar endemics
and critically endangered species
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Gerald Kuchling
Burmese turtles have been illegally but heavily traded into China since 1993, with the
bulk of traded species including the Burmese endemics Lissemys scutata and Morenia
ocellata. In the late 1990s and the early 21st century some Burmese species which had not been
scientifically recorded since the early 20th century (Heosemys depressa, Kachuga trivittata) were
"rediscovered" at Chinese markets before wild populations could be located again in Burma,
and a new species (Chitra vandijki) was scientifically described from turtles bought at Chinese
markets prior to its discovery as a Burmese endemic.
Three species endemic to Burma, K. trivittata, H. depressa, and Geochelone platynota, are
listed under the "world's top 25 most endangered turtles." The two species K. trivittata and
G. platynota had once relatively large ranges in Burma, but most of their populations have
been extirpated or nearly extirpated in the late 20th century. H. depressa, however, has a very
restricted range in the Arakan mountains, but until recently exploitation pressure on this
species appeared low. As would be expected from their rarity and endangerment, only small
numbers of those three Burmese endemics on the "world's top 25 most endangered turtles"
list were generally offered for sale on Chinese markets.
While on a TSA mission in China, I visited the Qing Ping turtle market in Guangzhou on 22
and 23 May 2007. The bulk of the turtles offered for sale were North American, in descending
order of quantity: Trachemys scripta elegans, Chelydra serpentina, Apalone ferox, Macrochelys
temminckii, Apalone spinifera. Next in bulk came evidently captive bred Chinese turtles:
Pelodiscus sinensis, Ocadia sinensis, Chinemys revesii, Mauremys mutica. I did not estimate
numbers for those species, but for evidently wild-caught SE Asian species, the next in bulk, I
estimated the following numbers for sale:
Table 1: Estimated minimum numbers of turtles per species at Qing Ping market on 22-23
May 2007, all stalls combined, and range of species in neighboring countries (+: present):
Species
numbers at Qing Ping
Burma
vietnam/laos
Amyda cartilaginea
2
+
+
Cuora amboinensis
50
+
+
Cuora galbinfrons bourreti
300
+
Cuora g. galbinifrons
300
+
Cyclemys sp.
120
+
+
Geoemyda spengleri
1
+
Heosemys depressa
80
+ (endemic)
Heosemys grandis
3
+
+
Indotestudo elongate
200
+
+
Kachuga trivittata
1
+ (endemic)
Lissemys scutata
60
+ (endemic)
Manouria emys
100
+
+
Manouria impressa
90
+
+
Melanochelys t. edeniana
50
+
Morenia ocellata
40
+ (endemic)
Platysternon megacephalum
70
+
+
Pyxidea mouhotii
600
+
+
Although over the last 15 years most turtle
populations in Burma have been heavily
exploited and dramatically reduced, the
number of Burmese endemics on the market
suggests that a large proportion of the SE-Asian
turtles may have originated in Burma (though
some species were also well represented that
do not occur in Burma, but in Vietnam and
Laos). Particularly shocking was the number
of H. depressa relative to species like M. ocellata
and L. scutata, which provided the bulk of
the Burmese endemics in the illegal trade in
the past. The restricted range and the mostly
large, adult specimens of H. depressa (Fig.
1, 2) suggests that this species is presently
specifically targeted for exploitation and
export to Chinese turtle markets. This species
may soon be cleaned out of its restricted forest
habitat and move further towards the top of
the "world's top 25 most endangered turtles."
Another shocking discovery was an adult
female Kachuga trivittata (Fig. 3). Although
the specimen had its right front limb missing
(healed, old wound) and the 3rd and 4th digits
were missing on the left front foot, it clearly
had claws on digits 1, 2 and 5 (no claw on
5 in Batagur baska). And the head and shell
form was not that of an adult female Callagur
borneoensis (apart from the total lack of other
Malay/Indonesian species on the market),
which would be the two most similar species
and sometimes difficult to distinguish from
K. trivittata. Given the extreme rarity of K.
trivittata, even one adult female represents a
significant proportion of the world population
of the species.
It is clear that this short survey only
represents a snap shot of the turtle trade
in China and may under-represent some
species, in particular those of high trade
value (e.g. G. platynota), which may not
have been openly displayed. What is on
offer on a particular day may also depend
from which region transports recently
arrived. For example, in April/May 2007
several turtle shipments from Vietnam
have been confiscated. Apparent was the
lack of turtles from the Indian subcontinent
and from Malaysia/Indonesia. The good
representation of wild-caught Burmese
turtles at the Qing Ping market suggest that
law enforcement and confiscation of illegal
shipments is largely lacking along the trade
route from Myanmar into China.
Eighty Arakan Forest Turtles, endemic to
Myanmar, were recently offered for sale
in the Qing Ping market in China. This
is one of four species ranked Critically
Endangered by the IUCN Red List that
were observed.
A rare Myanmar endemic, this female
Burmese roofed turtle was also observed in
the Qing Ping market and is emblematic
of the extent and growing volume of illegal
turtles flowing into China from that
country.
gerALD kUCHLINggerALD kUCHLINggerALD kUCHLINg
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
all igator Snapper release
TSa supports the return of alligator Snappers to Oklahoma
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Ongoing Alligator Snapping Turtle
(Macrochelys temminckii) conservation
efforts in Oklahoma got a boost in early 2007
with the translocation of over 250 adult turtles
to the southern part of the state from the
Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery in Arkansas.
The turtles had been moved to the hatchery
after being confiscated following permit
violations by a nearby commercial turtle
breeder. A lot of manpower was necessary
for assessing, processing and transporting the
turtles, and was provided by volunteers from
the Tulsa Zoo, Oklahoma State University
College of Veterinary Medicine and Zoology
Department, Tishomingo National Fish
Hatchery and U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Ecological Services, Tishomingo National
Wildlife Refuge, University of Central
Arkansas, West Texas A&M University,
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and
the Joe Hogan Fish Hatchery.
Health assessments were conducted on a
subset of the turtles a month prior to moving
them to quantify their condition after
living for years under extremely crowded
conditions, and to ensure that they did not
carry parasites or pathogens potentially
detrimental to conspecifics or other aquatic
biota. Based on information available for the
species, parasite loads and body condition
compared favorably with those from wild M.
temminckii populations.
As an additional precaution, intensive post-
release monitoring of the turtles was a
prerequisite to moving the confiscated turtles
to Oklahoma, and much-needed funding for
radio telemetry equipment was generously
provided by the TSA, DELTA Foundation,
and Tulsa Zoo Conservation Program. Sixteen
adult turtles were equipped with transmitters
to track movement patterns and survival rates
over the next four years. Additionally, mark-
recapture monitoring techniques were started
to keep track of the new population, as well
as to measure effects of the reintroduction on
the existing turtle community.
Alligator Snapping Turtle conservation
is not new to Oklahoma. Rusty Grimpe,
former curator of reptiles and amphibians
at the Tulsa Zoo, published some of the first
detailed descriptions of captive breeding M.
temminckii in 1987. Comprehensive state-
wide population surveys were conducted
a decade later, and in 1999 a headstart
program was
initiated by Tishomingo
National Fish Hatchery and Sequoyah
National Wildlife Refuge in response to
the steep population declines that had been
documented. Consistent production of
hatchlings at the hatchery began in 2002,
and in the intervening years, care has been
taken to validate each step of the headstart
process, from captive husbandry of adults
and juveniles to post-release survival. In
addition, a thorough analysis of the genetic
composition of M. temminckii populations
in the state was completed in 2006 by
researchers at Oklahoma State University,
and detailed egg incubation protocols for the
species were developed.
Supplementing established head-start efforts
with this large group of reproductively
mature M. temminckii is expected to benefit
conservation efforts in southern parts of
Oklahoma by advancing in situ reproduction
by more than a decade, and by immediately
establishing normal population demographics.
In coming years, reintroductions of head-
started juveniles are expected to continue in
river systems throughout the eastern one-third
of the state following intensive site-specific
sampling to ensure that native populations
are not impinged upon. Finally, discussions
have been initiated with neighboring states to
explore expanding the range of release sites to
include other regions in the Mississippi River
drainage where Alligator Snapping Turtles
have declined.
Day ligon
Rusty Grimpe (Tulsa Zoo) prepares a snapping
turtle for processing prior to transporting it and
over 250 conspecifics to Oklahoma for release.
Daren Riedle and Aaron Goodwin drill small
holes in a unique combination of marginal
scutes to facilitate individual identification
following release of the turtle.
Day Ligon, Kay Backues, DVM and
Rebecca Bloch, DVM (left to right)
examine an Alligator Snapping Turtle for
ectoparasites during health assessments
designed to gauge the suitability of
a large group of snapping turtles for
translocation.
A group of radio-transmittered Alligator Snapping Turtles awaiting release at Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge. Monitoring via radio telemetry
and mark-release is planned to continue through at least 2010.
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
international center for conservation of Turtles
update on the international center for the conservation of Turtles in Mnster
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Martina raffel
The International Center
for
the
Conservation of Turtles (ICCT) is a
breeding facility for critically endangered
Asian turtles located at the Allwetter Zoo
in Mnster, Germany. The ICCT has been
supported by the Turtle Conservation Fund
and Conservation International amongst
others, and has already achieved some notable
breeding successes. After operations started in
October 2003 with the completion of the first
breeding room, the whole 'BioCity' complex
at the entrance of the zoo was inaugurated in
July 2005. Besides the turtle breeding centre
consisting of two rooms (one each for tropical
and subtropical species), this building also
features an information and education centre
on biodiversity with the Asian Turtle Crisis as
one of its major subjects. Viewing possibilities
into the breeding facility are supplemented
by large signboards with information about
the species kept within the center (Table
1), exhibition tanks with attractive species,
hands-on elements for children and a touch
screen that presents playful short films on the
in situ conservation projects of Mnster Zoo
and its partners. The associated "Research
Workshop" with a laboratory, computer work
stations and media equipment aims to inspire
pupils towards science, engagement in nature
conservation and sustainability.
The first breeding success was celebrated
in 2004 with the hatching of Roti Island
Snakenecks (Chelodina mccordi) in September,
followed by one Golden-headed Box Turtle
(Cuora aurocapitata) and three McCord's
Box Turtles (C. mccordi). In 2005, five C.
mccordi, four Zhou's Box Turtles (C. zhoui),
two Golden Coin Box Turtles (C. trifasciata),
two 'Mauremys pritchardi' (now considered a
hybrid form and subsequently removed from
the program), and one Vietnamese Box Turtle
(C. galbinifrons) hatched. For the latter,
Mnster Zoo received the EAZA Shellshock
Captive Breeding Award as this was the first
successful breeding of this Shellshock Red Alert
species in a European zoo. 2006 was a very
successful year with a total of almost 80 turtle
offspring (Table 2), among them the first ever
European breeding of the Sulawesi Forest
Turtle (Leucocephalon yuwonoi). Regrettably,
this offspring only survived for three months.
The parents, however, have already mated
again and we are hopeful that this species will
reproduce successfully in 2007. This year,
more than 100 fertile eggs of nine taxa have
been laid so far with more expected soon.
Besides establishing breeding and assurance
colonies in captivity, the ICCT also aims
to preserve turtles in their natural habitats.
A first study in China was conducted in
autumn 2006 in cooperation with the
Museum of Zoology Dresden by means of
the EAZA Shellshock Campaign. According
to this survey, C. aurocapitata appears to have
been collected heavily from the wild, possibly
to the point of near extinction. Though some
intact habitat for C. aurocapitata remains,
pressure from turtle collectors remains high
and the future for this species in the wild is
dismal.
Table 1. Species currently cared for within the ICCT.
Scientific name
common name
Chinemys megalocephala
Chinese Broad-headed Pond Turtle
Chinemys nigricans
Red-necked Pond Turtle
Cuora amboinensis
South Asian Box Turtle
Cuora aurocapitata
Yellow-headed Box Turtle
Cuora mccordi
McCord's Box Turtle
Cuora (galbinifrons) galbinifrons
Vietnamese Box Turtle
Cuora (galbinifrons) bourreti
Bourett's Box Turtle
Cuora (galbinifrons) picturata
Southern Vietnam Box Turtle
Cuora flavomarginata evelynae
Ryukyu Yellow-margined Box Turtle
Cuora trifasciata (Southern Chinese form)
Golden Coin Box Turtle
Cuora trifasciata ('meieri', Northern Vietnamese form)
*
Cuora trifasciata ('cyclornata', Central Vietnamese form)
*
Cuora pani
Pan's Box Turtle
Cuora zhoui
Zhou's Box Turtle
Chelodina mccordi
Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle
Heosemys depressa
Arakan Forest Turtle
Leucocephalon yuwonoi
Sulawesi Forest Turtle
Mauremys annamensis
Annam Leaf Turtle
Melanochelys tricarinata
Tricarinate Hill Turtle
Notochelys platynota
Malayan Flat-shelled Turtle
Ocadia sinensis
Chinese Stripe-necked Turtle
Sacalia quadriocellata
Four-eyed Turtle
* The validity of these newly classified forms is still being discussed.
Table 2. Offspring produced in 2006.
Scientific name
number of hatchlings in 2006
Chinemys megalocephala
5
Chinemys nigricans
29
Chelodina mccordi
5
Cuora aurocapitata
7
Cuora flavomarginata evelynae
2
Cuora mccordi
3
Cuora trifasciata
8
Cuora zhoui
8
Leucocephalon yuwonoi
1
Mauremys annamensis
10
The ICCT features an information and education centre on
biodiversity with the Asian Turtle Crisis as one of its major subjects.
Top: In 2006, the ICCT recorded the first ever European breeding of the Sulawesi forest turtle.
Bottom: The Mnster Zoo received the EAZA Shellshock Captive Breeding Award for the first
European successful zoo breeding of a Vietnamese Box Turtle, a Shellshock Red Alert species.
14
15
august 2007 turtle survival alliance
Forsten's Tortoise Medical Mangement
veterinarians to the rescue: caring for a confiscated Group of Forsten's Tortoises
turtle survival alliance august 2007
A large group of Indotestudo forstenii was
placed under the custody of the TSA
in March 2007. This tortoise, also know
as Forsten's Tortoise, inhabits the islands of
Sulawesi and Halmahera in Indonesia and
is currently listed in CITES appendix II.
A large percentage of the tortoises were in
poor health and were subsequently placed
in facilities where veterinary care was readily
available, including the Bronx Zoo (Bronx,
NY), the New England Aquarium (Boston,
Massachusetts), the Fort Worth Zoo (Fort
Worth, Texas), Lake Howell Animal Clinic
(Maitland, Florida), and Zoo Atlanta
(Atlanta, Georgia).
The tortoises' condition was dire. Some of
the clinical signs included anorexia, lethargy,
ulcerations in the oral cavity, nasal and ocular
discharge, and diarrhea. Many were tested
for the usual (and not so usual) suspects
such as mycoplasma, chelonian herpesvirus,
intranuclear coccidia, and intestinal parasites.
The first culprit identified was amoeba.
Many of the tortoises that died had severe
amoebiasis and septicemia, but this was
suspected to be the result of a more serious
underlying illness. The tests for mycoplasma,
chelonian herpesvirus, and intranuclear
coccidian were all negative. However, the
pathologists found evidence of severe damage
to multiple organs consistent with a systemic
viral infection. The sick tortoises were treated
with antibiotics, antiparasitic medications,
parenteral fluids, and nutritional support.
Polymerase chain reaction testing of tissues
and choanal swabs from affected animals
were positive for an adenovirus. Sequencing
data revealed an adenovirus that has not
been described in reptiles. Currently, there
is ongoing work to further characterize this
novel adenovirus.
Many of the surviving tortoises tested
positive for the adenovirus; their future
is still uncertain. This case demonstrates
the importance of thorough diagnostics
in chelonians of unknown origin that are
showing high morbidity and mortality rates.
It also emphasizes the importance of strict
quarantine guidelines.
The TSA is extremely grateful to the clinicians,
pathologists,
and
scientists
that have
contributed immensely to the elucidation
of this mysterious illness. They include;
Orlando Diaz-Figueroa, DVM, MS, Dipl.
ABVP(avian) from Lake Howell Animal
Clinic, Maitland, FL; Salvatore Frasca Jr,
VMD, PhD, DACVP, Akinye Nyaoke, BVM,
MSc, and Guillermo R. Risatti, DVM, PhD
from the Dept. of Pathobiology and Veterinary
Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs,
Connecticut; Michael M. Garner, DVM,
Dipl. ACVP from Northwest ZooPath,
Monroe, WA; Christopher R. Gregory, DVM,
PhD and Rita McManamon, DVM from
the Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Zoo and
Exotics Path Services, Dept of Small Animal
Med, UGA, Coll of Vet Med, Athens, GA;
Charles J. Innis, VMD from the New England
Aquarium, Boston, MA; Annajane B. Marlar
DVM, MRCVS, Dipl. ACVO from the Fort
Worth Zoo, Fort Worth, TX; Bonnie L.
Raphael, DVM, Dipl. ACZM from the Dept
of Clinical Care, WCS, Bronx, NY ; and James
F.X. Wellehan Jr., DVM, MS, Dipl. ACZM,
Dipl ACVM(virology, bacteriology/mycology)
from the Zoological Medicine Service, Coll of
Vet Med, UF, Gainesville, Fl.
Zoo news
new habitat design for Sulawesi Forest Turtles at Zoo atlanta
SAM rIverATop: The quarantine set up for Zoo Atlanta's
group of Forsten's Tortoises.
Below: Despite their various pathologies and
diseases many of these tortoises displayed a
surprisingly healthy appetite.
SAM rIverASAM rIverABrad lock
In 2006 Zoo Atlanta built two new behind-
the-scenes stream/pond habitats for their
two breeding groups of Sulawesi Forest
Turtles (Leucocephalon yuwonoi). The habitats
extend out from the wall approximately 3
meters and the main pond ranges in depth
from 8 10 cm to .6 meters. Each habitat
has two small streams with three small ponds
or depressions in each that flow into the main
pond. The animals spend the majority of their
time in the small pond/stream system and a
significant amount of the time on land. One
male and three females are currently housed in
each habitat. Since placing the 1.3 L. yuwonoi
in each new breeding habitat, four eggs have
been deposited and at the time of this article,
at least two appear to be viable. L. yuwonoi
is considered problematic in captivity, and to
date there have been only three instances of
captive reproduction, two in the U.S. and one
in Europe. Stress appears to be a contributing
factor to poor reproductive success and large
enclosures with multiple water features such
as these allow for at least partial segregation
of the sexes. Space considerations should be
a driving factor when designing new yuwonoi
habitats, especially for wild-caught adult
specimens.
rICk HUDSoNrICk HUDSoNrICk HUDSoNAbove: One of two breeding enclosures specifically designed to meet the needs of Sulawesi Forest
Turtles, a stress prone species with a dismal breeding record in captivity. Live plants, ample UV
light, flowing water and multiple pools for isolation will hopefully contribute to improved breeding
success
Left: A pair of Sulawesi Forest Turtles in their new off-exhibit breeding facility at Zoo Atlanta
Sam rivera
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
ranGe cOunTry: cambodia
a collaborative effort to Save the river Terrapin in cambodia
turtle survival alliance august 2007
The Sre Ambel and Kaong Rivers in the
remote coastal area of Cambodia, are
home to what is thought to be the region's
sole remaining population of River Terrapins
(Batagur
baska). Critically Endangered
throughout their range, B. baska was thought
to be extinct in Indochina up until the
discovery of this small population in 2000 by
the Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS)
Cambodia program. Since the inception of the
subsequent conservation initiative the status
of the population has gradually stabilized and
the future of Cambodia's royal turtle is looking
decidedly less bleak.
The Batagur baska project is a collaborative
effort
between WCS,
the
Fisheries
Administration
(FiA),
and
the
local
communities surrounding the Sre Ambel and
Kaong Rivers. In 2007, as in previous years,
the primary focus has been on the guarding of
nesting beaches and the adjoining sections of
river throughout the nesting and incubation
seasons. During the nesting season two
conservations teams were deployed, one,
along each river, to identify B. baska nests and
to construct temporary enclosures around
each one to ensure protection from predators
and disturbance. This year three nests
were located, containing a total of 63 eggs.
Although the number of nests was lower than
in some previous years, one of them was from
a female that had last nested three years ago,
indicating that there may be more breeding
females than the nests suggest.
At the end of May, 47 hatchlings emerged,
all of which were taken to the Terrapin
holding center in Sre Ambel to facilitate
further protection. This center was built in
2006 with funding from the TSA and the
EAZA Shellshock campaign, and represents a
significant achievement for the conservation
program, as it allows for the release of terrapins
into the wild to be controlled and monitored.
The majority (approximately 70%) of the
hatchlings will be integrated into the center's
nascent captive breeding program while the
remainder will be released into their natural
habitat in August. The objective of these
activities is to find a balance between head-
starting some animals to reduce the likelihood
of mortality and the need to keep a regular
number of animals entering the population
naturally. This year's hatchlings joined 47 of
last season's yearlings and one juvenile which
was rescued from a fisherman's gillnet earlier
in the year.

This year has also seen the successful release
of a proportion of last year's hatchlings and
the event provided an ideal opportunity to
raise awareness of the conservation project's
objectives and achievements among the local
communities. The release ceremony was
attended by villagers, school children, local
and national officials from the FiA and the
Country Program Director of WCS. The
FiA and WCS have always placed a strong
emphasis on the inclusion of local people
within the project's development and project
staff have continued to devote considerable
time and resources to community outreach.
This is aimed at mutual understanding
between the needs of fishing communities
and the need to protect B. baska. This year's
activities have also included the production
of conservation education media such as
signboards, which were erected along the
rivers, school exercise books for local children,
and a 30 minute Batagur baska conservation
documentary which was shown on national
television. Meetings were also convened by
project staff to keep fishermen informed on
project activities, the importance of turtle
protection and on the new fisheries law.
Community participation
in
the nest
protection activities and, most recently, the
handing-in of a juvenile animal accidentally
caught by a local fisherman, are positive
indications that the conservation message is
finding a receptive audience. In terms of the
ecological dimensions of the project, the fact
that numbers of hatchlings have remained
relatively stable since 2002 is hugely
encouraging for a species that was probably
undergoing massive and steep decline in the
years before the project began.
Cambodia's B. baska population still faces
many challenges, analogous to those being
experienced by all of the country's wildlife.
These include habitat loss and degradation,
mainly though land clearing and conversion
to agricultural use, and further threats
from poaching and illegal fishing practices.
Although their status remains critical, the
project has given the species a fighting chance
and is now looking to build a secure future
for Cambodia's national reptile.
Signs along the Sre Ambel River provide local awareness for the plight of Batagur and urge
fishermen to release turtles trapped in nets.
This new headstart facility was built in 2006 near Sre Ambel Cambodia with funding from the
TSA and the EAZA Shellshock campaign.
rICk HUDSoNHeNg SovANNArADr. Paul Calle (WCS) trains Sitha Som (CI Cambodia) and Heng Sovannara (WCS Cambodia) in PIT tag implant techniques.
Paul Calle instructs Sitha and Heng on proper antiseptic technique.
PHoToS THIS PAge By rICk HUDSoNHeng Sovannara and Joe Walston
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
ranGe cOunTry: Malaysia
Temperature-dependent sex determination studies in the river Terrapin
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Gerald Kuchling, chan eng Heng, and Soh chong leng
A main focus of the Setiu and Dungun
River Terrapin (Batagur baska) Research
and Conservation Program in 2006/07 was
the evaluation of egg incubation in wild nests,
translocated nests (eggs reburied), and artificial
incubation in styrofoam boxes and incubators.
At the Dungun River, a total of 564 eggs were
deposited along the two major nesting banks
(Pasir Kumpal, 33 nests and Pasir Tok Chu,
11 nests) between January-March 2006, with
all the eggs incubated on the sandbanks.
The first four nests had to be excavated and
kept in plastic basins due to severe flooding
from 10-16 February 2006, but they were
reburied in the riverbank after flooding had
fully subsided. Nests in Pasir Kumpal were
allowed to incubate in situ and in 10 nests the
temperature was monitored with data loggers.
Nests in Tok Chu were excavated on 23
March and placed in styrofoam boxes of sand
for continued incubation at the University
Malaysia Terengganu.
At the Setiu River, a total of 387 eggs were
successfully purchased from egg collectors
for incubation. The eggs were from 24
different clutches. Sixteen clutches were each
incubated in separate styrofoam boxes of sand,
with 12 boxes placed in an indoor incubation
room (temperature range of 30.0 39.00C,
average of 32.4 2.3 0C) and 4 in a roofed
and well-ventilated shed (temperature range
of 28.0 34.0 0C, average of 30.7 2.0 0C).
The remaining 8 clutches were incubated in
3 temperature-controlled incubation boxes in
which the temperatures were also monitored
with data loggers (mean temperatures of
29.7C and 31.7C).
The Turtle Survival Alliance funded trips of
Gerald Kuchling to Malaysia in February and
May 2007 to sex headstarted B. baska from
the 2006 nests by endoscopy. The temperature
monitored nests at the Dungun River all
showed mean incubation temperatures of
roughly 32.5C. Forty five juveniles of those
were sexed and all found to be female (0%
males). As part of his UMT Masters program,
Soh Chong Leng sexed endoscopically under
Kuchling's supervision 66 headstarted B. baska
hatchlings from the temperature-controlled
incubation boxes. The combined results of
these studies suggest that B. baska has a pivotal
temperature (that produces an equal sex ratio)
close to 31.5C, with mainly males being
produced at lower temperatures and mainly
females at higher temperatures. However,
due to technical problems with the incubator
boxes, all incubation temperatures fluctuated.
The constant temperature pivotal temperature
may be slightly different (e.g., higher).
Thus, the large tropical Asian-sandbank-
nesting river turtle B. baska seems to have a
similar high pivotal temperature (where an
equal sex ratio is produced) as the large tropical
South
American-sandbank-nesting
river
turtles Podocnemis expansa and P. unifilis. This
may not be a surprise for a turtle biologist, but
it could be for some US zoos that were already
breeding and artificially incubating B. baska
eggs for many years, presumably most of them
at masculinizing temperatures. In addition,
more than 30 years of B. baska egg collection,
incubation, head starting and release programs
in Malaysia have not yet translate into any
stabilization of the wild populations which are
still in steep decline. Although it is difficult
to evaluate retrospectively what went wrong,
the possibility of such programs producing
heavily biased sex ratios is a reality (see
TSA Newsletter Feb. 2005). Recovery and
conservation programs of critically endangered
species that include nest translocations and/or
captive breeding should never proceed without
investigating the male and female producing
incubation temperatures at the start of the
project, even if a species (e.g. a softshell turtle)
is believed not to have TSD (see report on
Chitra chitra, this newsletter). Since this can
be done by endoscopy without sacrificing
any offspring, there is no longer any excuse
for not evaluating sex ratios immediately in
all recovery projects of critically endangered
turtles.
A newly hatched Batagur with the egg-tooth.
Workers rescue Batagur eggs from a waterlogged beach nursery in Malaysia.
ranGe cOunTry: Thai land
TSa assists breeding program for Siamese narrow-headed Softshell Turtle
Gerald Kuchling, Wachira Kitimasak, and Jonathan Murray
Based on recommendations of the TSA-
sponsored evaluation of the Chitra
chitra captive breeding program of the
Kanchanaburi Inland Fisheries Development
Center
(KIFDC)
in
January/February
2006 (see TSA Newsletter August 2006),
several changes were implemented regarding
husbandry and egg incubation. According to
the ultrasound assessment of gonadal activity
of the adult breeding stock in early 2006, the
only remaining adult female Chitra, which
had not laid any eggs since 2002, was moved
into a different pond with two different
males. One of the males she was originally
paired with was in poor health and the second
one was relatively small, whereas the two new
males were large and in good condition.
Again on a TSA mission in early 2007,
Gerald Kuchling continued the histological
examination of gonads of dead juvenile
C. chitra and confirmed the preliminary
results from 2006 of a male-biased sex ratio
of captive-bred juveniles (now standing at
about 80% males). In the past, eggs were
incubated in sand in a drum placed in a shed
without temperature control. In late January
2007, Gerald and Jonathan Murray delivered
three new TSA-financed electrically heated
incubators to Wachira Kitimasak (KIFDC),
which were soon put to good use. The
husbandry changes enabled the female Chitra
to produce eggs again after a five year pause,
and she laid four clutches of 25, 60, 63 and
60 eggs during February - April 2007however
several eggs were broken during nesting and
some eggs were smaller than usual. When
this female last reproduced in 2002, her eggs
were also smaller than those of another female
(which is no longer available).
A proportion of the eggs were incubated at
constant temperatures of 29, 31, and 33C.
Once the hatchlings have grown enough
they will be sexed by endoscopy to evaluate
if C. chitra hatchling sex ratios depend
on incubation temperature. Ten eggs had
hatched by April-May 2007.
This beach was supplemented with additional sand to create a more suitable nesting environment,
one of a number of husbandry modifications funded by the TSA.
gerALD kUCHLINgThe incubators allow for three temperature regimes to determine if a TSD pattern exist for the
Siamese Narrow-headed Softshell Turtle.
An artificially incubated C. chitra hatching.
wACHIrA kITIMASAkwACHIrA kITIMASAk
20
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
turtle survival alliance august 2007
is extremely important that rivers where K.
trivittata historically occurred be evaluated as
potential reintroduction or relocation sites.
Given the critical nature of this situation,
and the impending loss of the remaining
wild breeding population, a Species Recovery
Workshop for K. trivittata is being planned
for November 2007 in Mandalay. A small
group of chelonian conservation biologists
will gather to draft a sound and aggressive
conservation strategy for K. trivittata that
should address the following questions and
issues that will ultimately determine the
survival of this species:

How many additional captive "assurance

colonies" are needed in addition to the one
at Yadanabon Zoo?
Where should these be located and how

will they be financed?
What should be done with future

hatchlings from wild nests on the Upper
Chindwin? What percentage should be
retained for captive management, and how
many should be released?
Should subadult and juvenile

K. trivittata
caught in fishing nets be brought into the
captive population?
Can habitat mitigation measures be

planned that will reduce the extinction
risk of the wild population? Can artificial
nesting habitat be created prior to
impoundment?
What education and awareness messaging

should be aimed at local villagers within
the range of K. trivittata, both now and in
the future?
We are in a race against time with the Burmese
Roofed Turtle and the next few years will be
critical to the survival of this species. From
the perspective of the primary collaborators
on this recovery program WCS and TSA
we must be willing to engage the best turtle
conservation biologists in the world and then
marshal the financial resources to support
their efforts. An important step will be the
Recovery Plan workshop late in 2007. Stay
tuned and please respond to requests for
funding.
This freshly laid nest has been marked and awaits
excavation and translocation to a riverine hatchery.
Juvenile Burmese Roofed Turtles bask at the
headstarting facility on the upper Chindwin River.
wIN ko kowIN ko koranGe cOunTry: Myanmar
last chance for the Burmese roofed Turtle
Kalyar, Win Ko Ko, and rick Hudson
The Burmese Roofed Turtle, Kachuga
trivittata, is critically endangered and
considered one of the most at-risk species
in the world today. The goal of the field
research and recovery program is to prevent
the immediate extinction of this Myanmar
endemic and to secure its future through a
range of conservation actions, aimed at both
the wild and captive populations. A wild
breeding population is known only from the
upper Chindwin River, and this is the current
focus of field program activities, managed by
the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
turtle conservation team. A base camp and
head-starting facility was constructed in
Limpha village in 2006, centered near all
potential nesting beaches along the upper
Chindwin River. In the 2006-2007 season,
nesting occurred as early as 12 December
2006 and continued through 19 March 2007.
During this period a total 152 eggs were
recovered for incubation. Approximately
seven females were thought to have nested
on these beaches and, excluding damaged
eggs, clutch size averaged 21.7 eggs (n=7;
range=4-37). Females excavate one to eight
holes to deposit eggs; although there was no
direct observation of nesting activity, tracks
indicated that adjacent holes on the same
beach were made by a single female.
Each nest was carefully excavated from
the beach, transported to the base camp,
and incubated separately in a purpose-
built fenced enclosure. According to local
informants, eggs from 2 additional nests
were collected by villagers to eat. According
to the GPS measurements of nesting beaches
and potential beaches, K. trivittata nest along
a 65-mile stretch of the upper Chindwin
River. Incubation periods ranged from 70 to
170 days. Eggs deposited in December and
March hatched about the same time. To date,
hatching success for 2007 is 32 out of 152
eggs (20%), down from 2006 when overall
hatching success was 38% (range=0 to 94%).
Based on the results of this work, changes
in incubation methods are urgently needed
to improve hatching success, otherwise the
eggs should be left in situ. Data loggers were
deployed in the translocated nests in 2007
and that data will hopefully shed some light
on this situation.
From eggs collected during the 2005-2006
nesting season, 71 1-year old turtles remain
at the upper Chindwin head-starting facility
and 16 hatchlings are being raised at the
Yadanobon Zoo in Mandalay. Repeated
measurements of hatchlings indicate growth
rates are slower during the winter season. The
growth rate of hatchlings was considerably
higher at Yadanobon Zoo when compared
with the Chindwin facility, most likely
due to superior diet provided at the zoo.
Hatchlings at the Chindwin facility are fed
primarily locally grown vegetables. However,
hatchlings at the Chindwin facility are more
active and exhibit good shell development.
Since initiation of the project, survival of
hatchlings at both facilities has been 99%.
A heightened sense of urgency now exists for
this species. Dam construction is already
underway that will flood the last known
nesting habitat of K. trivittata in less than five
years. The highest elevation of nesting beaches
is 480 feet above sea level based on GPS
measurements. Given that the planned dam
and impoundment (estimated area of 539 sq
miles) will raise the water level a minimum of
580 feet above sea level, those nesting beaches
will be inundated. One hundred and seventy
four villages, including the turtle project base
camp, will be moved in 2010. This means
that we have roughly five years (projected
date of completion) to determine how to
breed and manage this turtle in captivity in
the event that the wild population becomes
extinct. The potential for this is far greater
once the river is dammed. Additionally, it
Translocated clutches of eggs are moved to this fenced enclosure on Linpha beach for protection and
hatching.
wIN ko kowIN ko ko
22
23
august 2007 turtle survival alliance
turtle survival alliance august 2007
rICk HUDSoNof other questions and concerns, plans are
underway for a Species Recovery Workshop,
to be held late in 2007 in Mandalay.
The TSA is also developing plans for two
new breeding facilities for the Burmese Star
Tortoise, Geochelone platynota, in Myanmar.
The first will be at the Minsontaung Wildlife
Sanctuary,
in conjunction with EAZA
Shellshock, the second at the Yadanobon
Zoo in collaboration with WCS and others.
Both places already have successful breeding
programs but the facilities are either too small
or lack adequate security.
Opening ceremony for the new breeding and management facilities for Burmese Roofed Turtles, Yadanabon Zoo, Mandalay.
Bill Holmstrom holds an adult male Burmese Roofed Turtle, equipped with radio transmitter, prior to release into the breeding pond.
This "growout" facility at Yadanabon Zoo was designed to hold various sizes of growing Burmese
Roofed Turtles.
rICk HUDSoNranGe cOunTry: Myanmar
new captive Facility for Burmese roofed Turtles Opens
rick Hudson
The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) is
pleased to announce that efforts to save
one of the world's most endangered turtles
took a major step forward recently. A new
captive breeding and management facility for
the Burmese Roofed Turtle, Kachuga trivittata,
was officially opened on 2 December 2006 at
the Yadanobon Zoo in Mandalay, Myanmar.
This project is a joint endeavor of the TSA,
the British Chelonia Group (BCG), and the
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Dr.
Tint Lwin (Yadanobon Zoo), Bill Holmstorm
(WCS), Win Ko Ko (WCS) and Rick
Hudson (TSA) helped coordinate the opening
ceremony that was attended by representatives
from the Myanmar Forestry Department,
the Yadanabon Zoo, Crystal Perception
engineering firm, and faculty and students
from the University of Mandalay. The opening
culminated with the release of 2.3 adult K.
trivittata into the breeding pond; turtles were
released at the nesting beach and allowed to
slowly find their way to the water in hopes that
the females would orient to this area when it
comes time to nest. Due to the large size of
the breeding pond, four adults were fitted with
radiotransmitters so they could be monitored.
It was especially gratifying to see one of the
males up basking on the ramp to the nesting
beach, and the females feeding on floating
vegetation, the next day.
The new facility also features a floating
basking platform, a fenced feeding area, a
water hyacinth-filled biological filtration
pond, security fencing and a juvenile rearing
area with six grow-out ponds. Sixteen 2006-
hatched K. trivittata hatchlings, collected from
wild nests on the Upper Chindwin River, are
now being raised here. Construction funds
were provided by the BCG and the TSA
through grants from the Batchelor Foundation
and Walter Sedgwick.
The Burmese Roofed Turtle recovery program
is proving to be a model example where field
and captive efforts are strongly linked and
support one another. This year the WCS turtle
team located eight wild nests and collected 88
hatchling K. trivittata for head starting, 16
of which were brought to Yadanabon Zoo.
Several subadults trapped in fishermen's nets
on the Chindwin were also turned over to the
WCS team and often incorporated into the
breeding program. With dam construction
already begun, and the remaining known
nesting habitat of this species projected to
be underwater within five years, the captive
management program takes on a greater sense
of urgency. Within the next few years biologists
must collect critical data on natural nesting
ecology, particularly incubation temperatures
and TSD patterns, as well as determine how
to successfully breed and raise K. trivittata in
captivity. To address these as well as a range
Adult females make their way down the ramp from the nesting area, heading to water.
The new breeding pond at the Yadanabon Zoo is large and features a nesting beach, a floating basking platform and a fenced feeding area to assist
with capture.
rICk HUDSoNrICk HUDSoN
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
ranGe cOunTry: Mexico
conservation of the central american river Turtle in veracruz
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Gustavo aguirre
Historically, fishing in inland waters
was an activity that provided food for
small scale consumption by local people.
After the 1970s, fishing began diversifying
and growing in scope. Rural fishermen
represent an impoverished sector that labors
intensively, lacks organization, and generally
woks at a subsistence level. Besides fish, these
fishermen capture other aquatic vertebrates
such as turtles, crocodiles, caiman and otters.
In particular, freshwater turtles are important
to inland water fishermen and represent a
significant source of protein to local people.
However, there are no statistics on their
capture and trade because of the illegality
and hence clandestine nature of this activity
in Mexico, despite the fact that turtles have
been protected by Mexican environmental
and wildlife laws since 1994.
Thirty one freshwater turtle species are
present in Mexico, and southern Veracruz
supports one of the most diverse assemblages
of these reptiles in the country. Nine species
are distributed there, including Chelydra
rossignoni, Dermatemys mawii, Rhinoclemmys
areolata, Trachemys
venusta, Claudius
angustatus, Kinosternon acutum, Kinosternon
leucostomum, Kinosternon scorpioides and
Staurotypus triporcatus. Most populations
of these taxa are under excessive pressure for
human use and have been locally extirpated
in some areas. This situation makes it
necessary to expand research activities that
are oriented towards developing alternatives
to using turtles, or promoting their use in a
sustainable manner. Such activities should
discourage illegal trade, while promoting wise
use of the resource and creating a positive
impact on the rural people that depend on
these resources.
In the state of Veracruz, located along the
coast of the Gulf of Mexico, a number of
initiatives for the protection of threatened
freshwater
turtles
are underway. The
establishment of a State Committee in 2004
to protect, conserve and manage wetlands,
has promoted the consolidation of task
forces dealing with related conservation
issues such as threatened freshwater turtles.
The prospects for the conservation of the
endangered river turtle, Dermatemys mawii,
in Veracruz are promising. In the last three
years two internationally designated Ramsar
sites, comprising 268,985 hectares of wetland
habitat, have been established within the
range of Dermatemys in Veracruz. They
are "Humedales de la Laguna La Popotera"
and "Sistema Lagunar de Alvarado" and
management plans for these two sites are
now being developed that will consider
conservation strategies for D. mawii.
In Ramsar site No. 1462 "Humedales de
la Laguna La Popotera" ecotourism and
environmental education are being promoted
in coordination with a local fishing group,
Sociedad Cooperativa de Pesca "La Popotera."
This initiative aims to provide employment to
fishermen through low- impact ecotourism
and sustainable use of wetland resources,
and to discourage overexploitation of
threatened species including several turtles.
With this idea in mind, a floating module for
environmental education was designed and
built with support from the Turtle Survival
Alliance (TSA). This is a demonstration
module that contains both hydroponics and
aquaculture pilot systems, and that illustrates
a technique for maximizing sustainable use of
wetlands.
The floating module has two vegetable
production containers for raising turtle
forage and two units holding Dermatemys.
Written information is provided concerning
freshwater turtles and their protected status.
The module is installed on the Papaloapan
River at the entrance to the "la Popotera"
Ramsar site where local fishermen gather.
Printed materials are provided to visitors
that illustrate productive alternatives to
those with legal access to freshwater turtles;
the situation for the critically endangered
D. mawii is emphasized with suggestions for
potential ways to help protect them at the
local level. In the future we hope to develop
other sustainable ecotourism-based models
that promote the large-scale production of
Dermatemys, thus relieving hunting pressures
on natural populations.
An inside view of the module containing
groups of young Central American River
Turtles and soil areas for cultivating forage
plants.
The Central American River Turtle,
Dermatemys mawii.
This floating module in Veracruz, Mexico
is designed as a sustainable ecotourism-
based model that promotes the large-scale
production of Dermatemys.
BrIAN HorNe
26
27
august 2007 turtle survival alliance
ranGe cOunTry: india
indian turtle research and recovery program focuses on the national chambal river Sanctuary
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Shailendra Singh
The Turtle Project team of the Madras
Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT) started
a variety of activities in National Chambal
Sanctuary in late January this year, to meet
the nest protection and headstarting targets
determined for 2007 for the Red-crowned
Roof Turtle (Kachuga kachuga) and the Three-
Striped Roof Turtle (Kachuga dhongoka) as per
the Indian Turtle Action Plan of the MCBT/
TSA 2005 Workshop in Lucknow. Various
sections of the Chambal River in Uttar
Pradesh (UP) and Madhya Pradesh (MP) were
rapidly surveyed in January to select locations
for setting up in situ turtle hatcheries. Various
criteria like turtle abundance, nesting habitat
suitability, levels of human disturbance and
logistic ease, and experiences of the previous
year were used in the selection of the sites.
Three localities, which included Garhaita
and Baswara in UP and Rajghat in MP, were
selected for setting up the riverside hatcheries
for the turtle headstarting program for 2007.
Four field assistants were engaged for each
of the two hatcheries in UP and two for the
hatchery in MP. Some of the persons engaged
possessed experience of hatchery techniques
from the previous year while some were
new. Sessions in egg collection and hatchery
techniques were conducted, both for training
new workers and as refresher courses for those
who had worked before.
The setting up of hatcheries in UP at two
locations, namely Garhaita and Baswara,
was completed by 31 January 2007. These
hatcheries were located within 6 km of each
other at about 30 km from the district town
of Etawah. At each hatchery, an area 30m x
20 m on the Chambal River was fenced off
against egg predators. The two hatcheries
were located respectively on a sandbank
and a mid-river island that were in no way
different from nesting habitat of turtles and
where nesting of turtles, in fact, occurs. The
hatcheries were fenced using thorn bushes
and old nylon fishnets as had been done in
the previous year. However, in order to test
a precautionary suggestion that shade from
the thorn bushes may significantly affect
the temperature regimes on that hatchery,
the hatchery at Baswara was enclosed using
fishnets only, while a double fence was used
for the hatchery at Garhaita. Here, the
outer fence of thorny branches of the exotic
mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) enclosed, at a
distance of 2m, the inner fence of nylon fish
netting. These fencing materials had proved
to be predator proof during the previous year
and, because of low cost, were again used this
year.

Three field assistants led by a researcher
searched for turtle nests between 0600 to
0900 hr and 1600 to 1800 hr each day. The
teams covered a section of river approximately
3km up and downstream of the hatcheries.
Occasional nest searches were also conducted
on islands and sandbanks at more distant
locations during nesting surveys of river
sections extending from 15 to 50 km from
the hatcheries. Roughly 2400 man hours
were spent in searching for nests at each of the
hatcheries, during February to April 2007.
Additionally, efforts were made to capture
females during nesting emergences during
hours of darkness.
37 nests (697 eggs) of K. kachuga and 258
nests (5,871 eggs) of K. dhongoka and 6 nests
(136 eggs) of K. kachuga and 219 nests (4,842
eggs) of K. dhongoka, were collected and are
being incubated at the Garahaita and Baswara
hatcheries respectively. Clutches transported
to the hatchery were buried at the same depth
at which the egg mass had been recorded
in the nest. The clutches were incubated in
holes excavated 100 cm away from each other.
Plastic boards displaying clutch number, size,
and date of collection of each nest have been
fixed over each clutch for easy identification.
Earliest nesting of K. dhongoka was observed
on 31 January 2007 in a nest that had
been predated; the first nest collectecd for
the hatchery was on 1 February 2007. The
frequency of nesting activities such as crawl
tracks, trial nests, and egg clutches began to
intensify by the first week of February. This
ceased for about a week, due to moderate
but regular rainfall in the 2nd and 3rd weeks
of February, and resumed thereafter. Nesting
continued through the entire month of
March before discontinuing, approximately
in mid April.
A riverbank nesting habitat at a site called
Chilonga in MP (ca. 3 km length; close to
the Garhaita hatchery) is being kept under
observation as a control site, to determine
predation pressure. One hundred and
twenty two natural nests of K. dhongoka were
enumerated at this site but not collected
in order to observe them throughout the
incubation season. Till mid-April, predation
in 93 nests was observed, suggesting that the
egg protection and head starting program
contributes significantly to improving the
survival rates of Kachuga in the Chambal.
Nesting parameters
such as nest-hole
dimensions, and distances and heights of
nests from the stream edge were recorded.
Temperatures of all nests were recorded
before collection of eggs using accurate and
calibrated thermo-probes. Spoor width of
all observed nesting crawls of turtles were
measured. Dimensions of captured live
turtles was also correlated with their spoors to
develop a reliable method of estimating sizes
of nesting females. Eggs were measured for
random nests. All nesting females captured
were measured and marked. All predated
nests were recorded to quantify the predation
rate. After recording predation of a nest the
eggshells were covered in the nest holes, and
nesting signs manually obliterated, to prevent
recounting of predated nests already recorded.
A total of 1,124 predated nests were counted
on 10 nesting banks in UP from February
through April 2007.
Nesting patterns and predation pressures on
riverbanks as opposed to midriver islands
will also be compared from our data. Since
riverbanks are more prone to predation,
more emphasis was placed on collecting
the turtle nests from sandbanks rather than
islands. Clutches have been separated from
each other by close-packed stick fencing of
25- 30 cm in height to prevent hatchlings
of nests incubated at specific temperatures
or collected from specific areas from mixing
with others. Turtle surveys to locate nesting
and habitats for target species, commenced
from early February and continue till now.
100 km out of the 172 km of the River in
Uttar Pradesh and 250 km in MP Chambal
were also surveyed to monitor turtle nesting
and nesting habitats in the entire sanctuary.
All locations were inventoried with the help
of GPS and permanent reference points. Nest
counts, including predated nests were done,
besides the carapaces of all turtles found in
net entanglements, whether dead or alive
are being recorded and measured. Details of
remains of adult dead turtles found so far
in UP stretch are Kachuga dhongoka (12),
Kachuga kachuga (4), Hardella thurjii (15),
Aspiderestes gangeticus (10), Chitra indica (2),
Lissemys punctata andersonii (3) Pangshura
tentoria circumdata (20).
All observed human impacts on turtle
activity and habitat are being recorded and
comprise mainly agriculture, illegal fishing,
Above: One of the many threats to turtles
on the Chambal River is fishing, using
either lines of hooks or nets. Here a female
Kachuga dhongoka is snagged on a hook.
Right: This group of freshly hatched Three-
striped Roofed Turtles will be marked with
an ID tag and then released, in an attempt
to assess survival rates in this species.
28
29
sand mining, fuel wood trafficking, cattle
activity and camels. Information on poaching
and other human dependencies on river
have been collected as far as possible. One
hundred forty five turtle nests were seen to
have been robbed at Pachhaygaon sand bar in
the month of February, while local villagers
near Baswara village fed 17 nests of dhongoka
to
feral dogs. Extensive photographic
records of dead turtles and illegal gear being
clandestinely used in this Protected Area are
being collected during the head starting and
nest protection operations.
In MP preparation of a turtle hatchery at a
sandbank near the Rajghat railway bridge,
20 km from Deori Gharial Rehabilitation
Center in Morena district, was completed on
3 February 2007. 28 clutches (554 eggs) of
K. kachuga and 37 clutches (937 eggs) of K.
dhongoka are being incubated at this hatchery.
In addition, six nests (105 eggs) of K. kachuga
and 9 nests (207 eggs) of K. dhongoka are also
being incubated at the Deori Gharial center.
A total 265 predated nests were observed from
February to mid April during the surveys of
the Chambal in MP. Eleven mid-river nesting
islands (believed to be predation free) with
102 nests of K. kachuga and 202 nests of K.
dhongoka are being monitored to determine
their fate in Madhya Pradesh. These nests
will be kept under observation continually
until hatching. On hatching, hatchlings from
some protected nests will be collected for
captive rearing and head start program. All
hatched nests will be excavated and checked
for the presence of unhatched eggs and their
numbers will be recorded. Temperature data
loggers were deployed in 11 nests of both
species in all three hatcheries, three wild nests
and one of the natural nests that are being
built with metal mesh by the UP Forest
Department. Data loggers are also deployed
to record soil, air, and water temperatures.
Mid-river small islands, which emerge in late
March to early April, have been observed to
be important nesting sites for late nesters,
especially K. kachuga. Untimely floods (water
level rise due to water releases from upstream
dams) during the mid-April, 2007 were
observed to wash away five such K. kachuga
nesting islands with 29 nests and inundated
four other small nesting islands in a ca. 12
km stretch of the Chambal in UP while 41
nests of both species were washed away from
six major nesting islands in MP.
Hatching of K. dhongoka in 2007 began on 4
6 May at the Rajghat and Garhaita hatcheries.
Hatchlings at Garhaita are collected and
marked on the plastron with a permanent
marker for identification. Hatchlings are
measured, selectively photographed and
tagged with colored plastic tags before being
released during 0600-0700 hr and between
1700-1800 hr to reduce the risk of heat
stress. Future plans include the rearing of 400
hatchlings of both species at the Deori (MP)
and Garhaita (UP) turtle rearing facilities for
the head-starting program. It is expected that
in the coming season surveys, nest collection
(headstarting) and trade monitoring will be
initiated for another critically endangered
target species of the Indian Turtle Action
Plan, the Narrow headed Soft-shell Turtle
(Chita indica) in Chambal River as well as
the Sarju Rivers in North UP in the month
of September. Post-monsoon recapture
exercise is also proposed to determine the
survivorship of head-started and released
Kachuga hatchings in the Chambal River.
Training on various aspects of turtle biology
and conservation like survey techniques, egg
collection, and hatchery management has
been given to several students, volunteers from
different NGOs, and staff of the UP and MP
State Forest Department. Education program
are also conducted whenever possible, to
make local communities aware about the
diversity and conservation of turtles in the
Chambal. The team members involved in the
program are Shailendra Singh, Rishikesh K.
Sharma, Ashutosh Tripathi, Dhruvjyoti Basu
and Harry V. Andrews.
The MCBT Turtle Conservation Project
is highly indebted to Mr. Rick Hudson
and Dr. Brian D. Horne for their support,
encouragement,
and
suggestions. The
Turtle Survival Alliance, EAZA Shellshock,
Batchelor's Foundation, Zoological Society
of San Diego, Turtle Conservation Fund, and
the Detroit Zoological Institute are gratefully
acknowledged for funding the conservation
of endangered Indian turtles through the
current project.
TurTle Survival alliance
A
Transforming passion for
turtles into conservation
action
www.TurtleSurvival.org
Above: Newly hatched Three-striped Roofed
Turtles are tagged and released along the
Chambal River Sanctuary.

Below: This Kachuga egg hatchery at
Garhaita in the Chambal River Sanctuary
has an exclosure fence to protect against
nest predation.
Shailendra Singh manages the India turtle
conservation program for the TSA and is
shown here measuring a nesting female
Kachuga dhongoka.

august 2007 turtle survival alliance
turtle survival alliance august 2007
JoeL F
rIeSCH
30
31
august 2007 turtle survival alliance
ranGe cOunTry: china
TSa supports efforts to establish a breeding program for the last yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Gerald Kuchling and lu Shunqing
The Yangtze Giant Softshell (Rafetus
swinhoei)
is
arguably
the
largest
freshwater turtle in the world, and the most
critically endangered. A Rafetus Conservation
Workshop in Suzhou from 20-21 September
2006 drafted an "Action Plan for the
Conservation of the Giant Yangtze Softshell
Rafetus
swinhoei."
Immediate priorities
identified in this draft Action Plan include:
Sexing of the known individuals of
Rafetus at Shanghai Zoo, Suzhou Zoo and
West Garden Buddhist temple in Suzhou.
Input
from
turtle
reproductive
physiologists on how to get old turtles to
start reproducing.
Plans for housing and husbandry of
animals.
Recommendations for diet.
Contact zoos, buddhist temples, safari
parks, etc about large softshell turtles they
may be keeping.
In January 2007 the TSA sent Dr. Gerald
Kuchling to Suzhou in order to conduct a
workshop with the Chinese stakeholders
(Zoos, Chinese Zoo Association, West Garden
Buddhist Monastery)
and counterparts
(WCS-China Program, in particular LS) to
address the points listed above. Unfortunately,
the Rafetus of Shanghai Zoo had died in mid-
December 2006 and could only be examined
in a freezer. The good news of January 2007
was that after the workshop a previously
unknown live female Rafetus was identified at
the Changsha Zoo in Hunan Province.
In May 2007 the TSA again sent Gerald to
China to examine and complete the sexing
of all known Rafetus (those at Suzhou were
hibernating in January). The combined
January and May 2007 missions allow the
following assessment regarding gender:
Shanghai Zoo: the deceased Rafetus was
a male.
Suzhou Zoo: the only remaining Rafetus
is a male.
West Garden Buddhist Temple: the only
remaining Rafetus is a male.
Changsha Zoo: the Rafetus is a female.
It is not straightforward and easy to sex R.
swinhoei, in particular if the turtles are not
flipped on their backs to avoid unnecessary
stress. Although in undamaged males the tail
has a thick base and the cloaccal opening is near
the tip of the tail directly under or behind the
posterior rim of the carapace, the tail length
of the female is only very slightly shorter, the
cloaccal opening also being near the tip of
the tail directly under or only slightly cranial
to the posterior carapace rim. Although our
sample size is very small, a sexually dimorphic
character seems to be body size: males are
larger. For example the body mass at death of
the male at Shanghai Zoo was 117 kg, whereas
the body mass of the old female at Changsha
fluctuated for many years between 37 and 40
kg (37.2 kg in May 2007).

All three living Rafetus individuals are from
the Lake Tai Hu area of the lower Yangtze
plain (the northernmost population of the
species) and were already large individuals in
the respective institutions in 1949, the year
of the independence of the PR China. It is
not known how long the Suzhou Zoo male
has been in his pond. His pond/enclosure is
part of an old World Heritage- listed Garden
that existed for a long time. According to
the monks, the West Garden male had been
there for over 400 years. Prior to 1949 the
Changsha female had been part of a traveling
animal exhibit and had traveled all through
China. Thus, all presently known surviving
individuals of R. swinhoei in China seem to
be old (at least > 70 years) and may be very
old (100+ years).
Rafetus swinhoei does not seem to survive
well in "modern" zoo exhibits. A Rafetus in
a reptile exhibit at Beijing Zoo had died in
2004. The male at Shanghai Zoo (which had
been there since 1975) had been moved into
a new reptile exhibit in 2005 and had died
by late 2006. In contrast, the two surviving
males at Suzhou both live year-round in large
and relatively deep outdoor ponds where
they hibernate during winter (November
to April). The female at Changsha had also
been kept outdoors and had hibernated in a
large outdoor pond from 1949 until the fall
of 2006. However, in October 2006 she was
for the first time moved into an indoor reptile
exhibit where she could not hibernate (so that
zoo visitors can also observe her during winter).
This caused concerns regarding her health
and survival prospects when we discovered
her in late January 2007. Unfortunately
Changsha Zoo neither took part in the
Rafetus workshop in September 2006 nor in
January 2007, since by then their turtle had
not yet been identified as Rafetus. Suddenly
realizing the importance of their turtle - the
last presently known female of the species -
Changsha Zoo immediately constructed a
new outdoor enclosure and moved her on 7
February 2007 (less than two weeks after her
discovery). Although we do not consider her
new enclosure to be optimal, this move may
have saved her life.
In conclusion, the external assessments of
health and reproductive conditions of all
known Chinese Rafetus alive in May 2007
revealed:
The male at Suzhou Zoo is very old and
scarred. About 15 years ago (early 1990s)
another Rafetus was moved into his pond. A
battle started immediately and the resident
Rafetus killed the other one (also a male,
now stuffed) the same day. During this
battle the survivor may have lost the back
part of his leathery carapace flap. For that
reason its tail now protrudes from under
the carapace and is visible from above. It
shows a thick tail base and identifies the
turtle as male. The turtle has white patches
on the neck, probably also old battle scars.
Unexpectedly, in May 2007 Suzhou Zoo
suddenly refused permission to touch and
closely examine this Rafetus. No further
assessment was, therefore, possible.
West Garden Buddhist Temple allowed
their Rafetus to be touched, but did not
allow capture and restraint of the turtle
for closer examination. Gerald was able to
palpate its tail for over 30 seconds while
the Rafetus was basking in shallow water
on a basking island. This clearly allowed
it to be identified as male (thick tail base
where the penis is palpable). This Rafetus
is strong and seems to be healthy and in
good condition.
Despite concerns regarding health and
reproductive condition of the female at
Changsha following her partly warm over-
wintering in 2006/07, she was in good
condition in May. Ultrasound scanning
revealed that she had recently ovulated and
had soft-shelled eggs in the oviducts, plus
batches of vitellogenic ovarian follicles.
This suggests that she may even produce
two clutches of eggs in 2007. This caused
some excitement in the Hunan media
with several newspapers and TV stations
reporting this finding.

With two males (at least one - West Garden
- in good condition) and one female Rafetus
in breeding condition in the spring of 2007,
the biological prerequisites were present to
start captive breeding of Rafetus immediately.
However,
institutional and bureaucratic
hurdles delayed this dream. All three
institutions holding Rafetus are unwilling to
make their specimen available for breeding
loan. They are considered too valuable for
each institution. In this situation artificial
insemination could be a solution, but again
such a trial was not possible in 2007. This
would have required restraining a male
for a short time in order to attempt sperm
collection. This was not possible with Suzhou
Zoo even refusing to let their Rafetus be
touched and West Garden only letting their
Rafetus be touched while unrestrained.
Thus, the good news for captive breeding of
Rafetus in China is that one or two clutches of
eggs will be produced in 2007. The bad news
is that the female had been kept isolated from
any males for at least 58 years (and probably
much longer) and that there is no immediate
prospect to rectify this problem. Despite the
advanced age of the potential breeding stock
the present captive breeding obstacles for
Rafetus in China do not seem to be biological
or reproductive physiological, only political
and bureaucratic. The TSA wishes to thank
Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong
Kong, for generously underwriting some of
this work.

Basking Rafetus male at West Garden Buddhist Temple. Posterior carapace flap is undamaged and
more or less covers the tail.
Gerald Kuchling palpating
the
tail of
unrestrained Rafetus male at West Garden
Buddhist Temple.
Female Rafetus at Hunan Zoo, Changsha, in
old enclosure in January 2007.
Gerald Kuchling conducts a reproductive assessment, using ultrasonography, on the female Rafetus
at Huan Zoo in Changsha.
32
33
august 2007 turtle survival alliance
ranGe cOunTry: vietnam
Turtle conservation developments in vietnam
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Tim Mccormack and Douglas Hendrie
an update from the Turtle conservation
centre (Tcc) of cuc Phuong national
Park and the vietnam-based asian Turtle
Program (aTP)
At the turn of the new millennium, the
Asian Turtle Crisis was at its most visible
with hundreds of turtles and tortoises on sale
in markets around the region. In recent years
however, the crisis seems to have receded with
lower numbers of animals being observed in
the trade.
Although it is likely that to some extent
this change is a result of improved public
awareness and wildlife law enforcement there
are indications that this is simply reflecting
the relative scarcity of turtles remaining in
the wild, with remaining turtle populations
unable to sustain collection and trade at the
levels seen a decade ago. Data from interview-
based surveys in Vietnam have shown that
turtles remain a highly economically-valuable
species, and although the intensity of focused-
collection has reduced in some areas with
depleted wild populations, opportunistic
collection is ongoing and the situation for
Vietnam's turtles now is more desperate than
ever.
Since the Asian Turtle Crisis was first
recognised, Vietnam led the region in
targeted conservation activities to address the
crisis. A new generation of national educated
and enthusiastic biologists is now leading the
conservation of Vietnam's chelonian fauna.
The Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) of
Cuc Phuong National Park, established in
1998 during the height of trade activity,
remains a flagship initiative that has put
turtle conservation on the map in Vietnam,
motivating government as well as NGOs
to prioritize turtle issues. Initially receiving
small numbers of confiscated turtles it has
expanded into a range state assurance colony
for specific species, implements rigorous
research in the field and in captivity, and has
carried out awareness and training programs.
The 2000m2 facility was transferred in
2002 to National Park Management, but
continues to receive technical support from
the Asian Turtle Program (ATP), a Hanoi
based entity supported largely by Cleveland
Zoo with support from other organisations
which collaborates with the TCC on research,
training and awareness programs.
Currently the TCC maintains 1161 turtles
(April 2007) representing 19 of the 25
species native to Vietnam. Species-specific
outdoor enclosures, two hatchling rooms,
an incubation room and a vet building
enable the centre to prioritize captive
breeding on seven focus species, Cuora
galbinifrons, Cuora bourreti, Cuora picturata,
Mauremys annamensis, Cuora mouhotii,
Sacalia
quadriocellata,
and
Indotestudo
elongata. Breeding success has increased;
in 2002 only two species, Heosemys grandis
and Indotestudo elongata were successfully
hatching. By 2006 this had improved to 13
species including Cuora galbinifrons, Cuora
bourreti, Geoemyda spengleri, Cuora mouhotii,
Mauremys annamensis, Ocadia sinensis and
Sacalia quadriocellata. During 2006, 277
confiscated animals arrived at the center,
and an additional 34 Mauremys annamensis
were returned to Vietnam from Kadoorie
Farm and Botanical Garden in Hong Kong,
importantly representing the first turtles
returned to Vietnam from overseas.
By autumn the TCC will also have completed
its most ambitious projects to date - the
construction of a visitors centre. Featuring
three underwater viewing tanks for aquatic
species, a hatchling and incubation room,
and an interpretive tour of the centre. The
experience is intended to raise individual
awareness of the plight of turtles in some of
the 70,000 visitors Cuc Phuong National
Park receives annually.
Training and conservation research
update for the asian Turtle Program
(aTP) and Turtle conservation centre
(Tcc)
The Asian Turtle Program (ATP) has
also undertaken a number of training
and research initiatives during 2006 and
2007, many of these in collaboration with
the TCC. As part of ongoing training, the
third annual weeklong tortoise and freshwater
turtle field skills training course was held in
2007 at Cuc Phuong National Park, as well
as the third half day university presentation
on turtle ecology and the Asian Turtle Crisis.
Day long enforcement training has also been
held in three provinces for 60 FPD rangers in
2006 and for 55 FPD rangers and 19 customs
officials in 2007, focusing on cross border trade
of turtles from Cambodia into Vietnam.
The ATP has also started to develop a number
of species-focused conservation and research
projects. In Cuc Phuong National Park a
radio telemetry study has now been running
since 2003 on the Three Keeled Box Turtle,
Cuora mouhotii, investigating for the first time
the wild behaviour of this secretive species
including home range and seasonal activity. A
small group of confiscated animals have also
been monitored to determine survivorship,
and to assess release as a potential option for
animals confiscated from the trade.
In Quang Nam province, central Vietnam,
surveys have also been undertaken to locate
populations of the Vietnamese Pond Turtle,
Mauremys annamensis, an endemic species
last reported in the area in 1939. Since then
the species has suffered considerably from
loss of lowland wetland habitat to agricultural
conversion and development, as well as from
collection for the wildlife trade. An interview
survey revealed eight Mauremys annamensis in
local trade and a series of sites were identified
where the species had a high probability of
persisting. In November 2006, one site was
revisited and aquatic traps set which resulted
in the capture of a single juvenile Mauremys
annamensis, confirming the species' presence
at the site. In 2007, a localized conservation
program is being developed at the site.
Bourret's Box Turtle (Cuora bourreti) is
critically endangered and restricted to central
Vietnam. During 2006, a month of interviews
and field surveys focused on the species were
conducted in Song Thanh Nature Reserve,
Quang Nam province. It was found that
while Cuora bourreti still occurs at the site,
illegal collection has greatly reduced numbers.
The survey found a high level of chelonian
diversity, with seven species occurring in the
area, or identified as having a high probability
of occurring. This included five endangered or
critically endangered species, Cuora bourreti,
Cuora mouhotii, Platysternon megacephalum,
Palea steindachneri, and Sacalia quadriocellata.
Efforts have also been made to locate remaining
populations of the most endangered chelonian
in the world, Yangtze Giant Soft-shell Turtle,
Rafetus swinhoei. During 2006 surveys were
conducted in seven provinces and 29 districts
along the Red River and its tributaries in
northern Vietnam. A skull was observed and
another potential site may persist. Surveys at a
main site are ongoing where it is hoped efforts
will be rewarded. The ATP is also working
in cooperation with Education for Nature
Vietnam (ENV), a local NGO, to develop
an awareness program on turtles, particularly
Rafetus swinhoei, in communities surrounding
areas where the species potentially occurs.
A functioning stream in the Vietnamese Box Turtle enclosure at the Turtle Conservation Center
(TCC) at Cuc Phuong.
A hatchling Cuora galbinifrons at the TCC.
TIM MCCorMACkTIM MCCorMACkThe TCC and ATP will continue to collaborate
on developing conservation strategies for
Vietnamese chelonian species. With efforts
since 1998 and the establishment of the
TCC having a positive effect, the number
of individuals working in research and
conservation on
turtles has
increased dramatically as has
the interest in the species group
by the government and NGO
sector.
For further information relating to the TCC
or ATP projects please E-mail:
ATCnetwork@fpt.vn
Or visit the ATC Network website:
wwwAsianTurtleNetwork.org
The first Vietnamese Pond Turtle observed
by scientists in the wild for 67 years.
TIM MCCorMACkDoUg HeNDrIeTIM MCCorMACkAsian Turtle Program field research officer Mr.
Nguyen Xuan Thuan measures three Cuora
bourreti shown to the team by a trader near
Song Thanh Nature Reserve.
Students of the 2007 training at Cuc Phuong National Park celebrate completing the course.
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35
august 2007 turtle survival alliance
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Conservation Funding in Action
Update: Temperature Sex Determination
(TSD) Project for the Yellow-margined Box
Turtle, Cuora flavomarginata
ray Farrell
In 2005 a study was initiated to determine if
the sex of hatchling Cuora flavomarginata's
could be influenced by temperature during
incubation. If so, this information would
provide a method to determine the gender of
hatchlings by manipulating the temperature
during incubation. This information would
be beneficial in that it would provide a
management tool to help meet our Taxon
Management Plan (TMG) of 300 TSA F1's
(100 males and 200 females).
Female Cuora flavomarginata were palpated
twice a week from 1 June to 15 August to
determine if they were gravid. Gravid females
were removed from their outdoor pens and
placed individual in 50 to 75 gallon tanks
containing several inches of peat and topsoil.
These turtles were checked daily until they
deposited their eggs. Data was collected on
each female that laid eggs, the sire recorded if
known and the number of eggs laid. The eggs
were individually placed in clear plastic pint
containers with a mixture of vermiculate and
water (six to five ratio). The plastic containers
were randomly placed within eight incubators
that were set at 25C, 27C, 29C, and 30C.
As the hatchlings emerged from their eggs
each turtle was assigned a turtle number
i.e. (L1-R2) by cutting a number in their
marginals. A data sheet was prepared for each
hatchling recording incubation time, sire
and dam along with their measurements and
Temp
# of
Hatchlings
Males
Females
25C
22
22 (100%)
0 ( 0%)
27C
22
17 ( 77%)
5 ( 23%)
29C
17
6 ( 35%)
11 ( 65%)
30C
12
0 ( 0%)
12 ( 100%)
weight. The results to date are as follows:
The data suggests that lower incubation
temperatures produce a greater number of
males and higher temperatures produce more
females. Additional data needs to be collected
this year to test the findings. We also plan on
incubating eggs at 26C, 28C and 31C.
Brian Horne, PhD, performed a laparoscopy
on each hatchling in 2005 and 2006 to
determine the sex for this study. This was
a difficult and time-consuming procedure
given their small size and the egg yoke that
was still in their body cavities. Our thanks go
to Brian for donating his time and expertise in
performing this procedure. He has performed
this procedure on 73 hatchlings without
injury or loss to any of them. Without his
efforts we would not have been able to sex
the hatchlings until they showed external
sexual characteristics several years from now.
These results are preliminary and additional
data needs to be collected and analyzed. This
research was funded by a 2006 TSA Partner
Grant.
2
update: Temperature Sex Determination
(TSD) in Four chelonian Species at
Knoxville Zoo
Michael Ogle, KZG
The second year of this study has
had some successes as well as a few
setbacks. The numbers of tortoises hatched
this season is on par with last year. This has
given us a clearer idea of what direction
to go in with the project. With a need to
produce 10-15 hatchlings (as in previous
studies) at each set temperature, it currently
seems unrealistic to produce that many
of three of the four species (Geochelone
elegans, Geochelone platynota, and Pyxis
planicauda) originally set in the study. Not
that those species will be removed from the
project entirely, it just appears it will take a
much longer time to get the final numbers
needed. The current thought is to focus
primarily on Madagascar Spider Tortoises
(Pyxis arachnoides spp.). Over the last two
seasons we have hatched over 30 Common
Spider Tortoises (P. a. arachnoides) for the
study. We are also increasing our captive
bred and potential founder numbers
with Northern Spider Tortoises (P. a.
brygooi) and Southern Spider Tortoises (P.
a. oblonga) too. As long as we are able to
continue our current success with Pyxis
a. arachnoides over the next few years we
should have enough data to report on this
portion of the project.
TURTLE SURVIVAL ALLIANCE - PARTNER GRANTS
Conservation Funding in Action
DISNEY WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FUND - UPDATE
community-based environmental
education for turtle conservation in
coastal cambodia
David emmett, c i
The flooded coastal forests of southwest
Cambodia are regionally
important
for freshwater turtle conservation, yet these
habitats are largely unprotected. Studies
show that the forested coastal region contains
the only known Cambodian population
of the Mangrove Turtle Batagur baska, as
well as populations of Elongated Tortoise
(Indotestudo elongate), Yellow-headed Temple
Turtle (Heosemys annandalii) , Asian Box
Turtle (Cuora amboinensis), Asian Giant Pond
Turtle (Heosemys grandis), Asiatic Softshell
Turtle (Amyda cartilaginea), Black Marsh
Turtle (Siebenrockiella crassicollis), and Asian
Leaf Turtle (Cyclemys atripons).
The coastal region consists of a mosaic of
lowland evergreen forest, seasonally inundated
forest, and mangroves, criss-crossed with rivers
and interspersed with villages. These villages
are situated along the coast and rivers. Our
work focused on those communities whose
location and activities pose the most direct
threat to turtle conservation in this area, either
through accidental captures in fishing nets or
through illegal harvesting of turtles for local
consumption or trade.
This project aimed to initiate long-term
conservation of wild, breeding populations of
globally threatened turtles in the coastal region
of Cambodia, with particular emphasis on
conservation of Batagur baska and Heosemys
annandalii, by implementing environmental
education activities in the main communities
around known turtle breeding areas. The
project utilised existing training programs in
Vietnam, where we sent five people Prum Sitha
from the Cambodian Fisheries Administration
and four young Cambodian conservationists
from the BP-funded Cambodian Turtle
Conservation Team (Som Sitha, Sun Yoeung,
Chey Kagna, and Sok Sokhorn) - for a 2-week
formal training course in environmental
education by Environment for Nature
(ENV) in Vietnam. During the
training and on their return, these
five individuals developed education
activities for children in schools and
adults in the communities, as well as
producing educational resources and activities
which they then provided to schools and
communes throughout the focal conservation
area.
The team, with support from ENV, developed
and delivered a set of four structured lessons
to children in schools across six communities.
Each lecture built on the last, and provided
students with a culmination of knowledge
on key conservation issues such as the
environmental and social impacts of losing
the coastal forests, the need to protect
Cambodia's turtles, and useful conservation
activities they can put into practice to protect
and manage their environment.
Our team also provided the schools with
biology and conservation books, turtle
posters, turtle calendars, children's notebooks,
chalk and other basic yet essential school
equipment, and framed pictures depicting
turtle
images and
turtle conservation
messages.
Supplemental resources which are currently
being developed as part of this grant include
an
illustrated
story-book highlighting
the Mangrove turtle Batagur baska, and
a children's colouring book that provides
information and conservation messages for
the younger generation.
There were also many discussions with
the local communities to hear their ideas
on opportunities and needs for turtle
conservation, and to see how the local
communities can be involved.
This project has kick-started conservation
of turtles in southwest Cambodia and has
focused national and international interest on
this area. This increased interest has led to the
development of a 2-year turtle conservation
project focusing on training, empowering
and supporting teams of community rangers
who will patrol key sites in the flooded
forests during the breeding season.
The Cambodian Turtle Conservation
Team has raised over $45,000 from
British Petroleum to continue the
work started by the Disney Wildlife
Conservation Fund (DWCF) - TSA funded
project, and the team will provide crucial
support and supervision to the community
ranger teams.
If this project is a success, breeding
populations of turtles will be secured and
conserved within the coastal region. The
area will effectively become a safe source
from which turtles can disperse into four
contiguous Protected Areas. The measure of
success of the project will be independently
assessed by Conservation International and
the Cambodian Turtle Conservation Team,
who will monitor key sites through systematic
trapping and mark-recapture studies.
It is also our long-term aim that the
environmental education activities and
training provided to Cambodian turtle
conservationists by this project will be recycled
and put to use in other key conservation sites
across Cambodia.
Hieremys annandalii is a focal species for the
project; this specimen was caught by our survey
team in flooded forest.
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Conservation Funding in Action
TSA SEED GRANT- PHILLIPPINE FOREST TURTLE
Conservation Funding in Action
The Philippine Forest Turtle Project: a
Model TSa Seed Grant Program
Pierre Fidenci
The Philippine Forest Turtle (Heosemys
leytensis) is one of the most endangered
freshwater turtles of the world and is endemic
to Palawan and Dumaran Islands in southern
Philippines. The Philippine Forest Turtle
project started in 2006, however most our
research and conservation activities began in
January 2007. Throughout our project, we are
assessing the distribution, habitat use, natural
history, and threats to the Philippines Forest
Turtle in southern Palawan Island. We are
also organizing educational programs to raise
awareness among local communities and to
strengthen capacity of students from Palawan
State University in conjunction with our field
expeditions. Palawan is a large island that
represents one of the most pristine, unexplored
regions of the Philippines, and is a "hot spot"
of biodiversity. Rampant illegal trade and
habitat alteration could lead to the extinction
of the Philippine Forest Turtle. At present, we
have completed in-depth interviews and many
field surveys for the Philippine Forest Turtle.
Now, we are starting comprehensive surveys
where we have accumulated the most reliable
information that the Philippine Forest Turtle
could still be found.
The Philippine Forest Turtle is known in
the northern part of Palawan from the
municipality of Peurto Princesa to El Nido in
the north. However, its presence in the south
has never been confirmed and remains a
mystery despite a few unverified reports. Our
surveys and conservation activities occurred
in southern Palawan from the municipality
of Nara (northern part) to the municipalities
of Rizal and Bataraza (southern tip). The
hard topography, weather conditions, access,
and endemic diseases make turtle research
a true adventure in this part of the world.
Our team, composed mostly of young local
conservationists and indigenous people, has
explored the most unknown parts of southern
Palawan from the municipality of Nara all the
way south to Rizal and Bataraza. We also have
extensively surveyed Balabac Island, a smaller
island with a low population density.
Balabac Island is located in the extreme
southwestern Philippines, about 35 km south
of Palawan Island, and about 70 km north of
Borneo. For its size (36 km long and 12 km
wide), Balabac has an incredible biodiversity
with various types of natural habitats ranging
from pristine rainforest with elevation up to
576 meters, wetlands, mangroves, and coral
reefs. The island is home of an endemic and
endangered wildlife such as the Philippine
mouse deer, the world's smallest ungulate.
Never before surveyed for turtles, Balabac
remains an island of harsh terrain and
unexpected discoveries. Beside its remoteness,
safety remains the main reason why most
scientists have been pushed back from the
island. Moving through the island has never
been easy. Dirt roads are rare, and most of the
exploration is on foot. We interviewed more
than 300 people in Balabac ranging in age
from 10 to 75 years old. The majority were
from the Molbog indigenous tribe, other
respondents were farmers, fishermen, hunters,
officials, and students. We explored the entire
island except the north east where it was unsafe
to adventure even for locals. Throughout
Balabac, only four elders responded with
a fairly high confidence of encountering a
turtle with a yellowish line or band around its
neck, probably H. leytensis, more than three
years ago. Intensive night surveys were then
conducted at various locations of the island.
Despite prolonged effort and the presence
of potential aquatic and upland habitats, we
did not detect the Philippine Forest Turtle in
Balabac. We encountered numerous Asian
Leaf Turtles (Cyclemys dentata), and Malayan
Box Turtles (Cuora anboinensis), both adults
and juveniles. The past unverified "reports"
of probable occurrence of the Cantor's Giant
Softshell Turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) were
negative. The absence of the Cantor's Giant
Softshell Turtle is probably not that surprising
since large water systems are practically non-
existent in Balabac. We did not encounter the
Maylasian Softshell Turtle (Dogania subplana)
despite the presence of suitable forested creeks
such as the ones where we observed this turtle
in southern Palawan. As far as the Philippine
Forest Turtle, our searches were also negative.
We had some hope to find the Philippine
Forest Turtle in Balabac since numerous
creeks are wrapped by primary and secondary
forest. We would have been very happy to
find it in Balabac since the latter offers good
conservation opportunities such as low turtle
hunting because of religious belief, presence
of primary forest, and low human density.
Furthermore, the local authorities were very
supportive of our conservation work, which
was very encouraging for future activities.
As far as southern Palawan, we are still
conducting
surveys
and
conservation
awareness activities. We have not detected any
Philippine Forest Turtles in areas where we
thought we would, based upon illegal trading
data and local interviews. The Philippine
Forest Turtle was for most part observed by
locals for the last time more than three years
ago. During that time the Philippine Forest
Turtle was traded heavily. While our team
explored mostly the lowland areas (below
300 meters), I ventured into very remote
areas by spending as much time as possible
with indigenous people who understand
nature best. One interesting finding was
that the Philippine Forest Turtle appears to
be unknown by the Tao't-Bato indigenous
people, meaning that this turtle has probably
never occurred above 300 meters from sea
level. The Tao't-Bato, which means "people
of the rock," usually live in cave-homes at
least during the rainy season of south-west
Palawan, in the high valley and mountain of
Singnapan. The higher mountain areas are
covered in primary forest but the valleys are
mostly secondary forest with a few patches of
primary forest that are considered sacred.
Overall, the Philippine Forest Turtle appears
to be extremely rare in southern Palawan.
Deforestation, past intensive illegal trading
activity, lack of numerous suitable aquatic
and upland habitats, and other unknown
causes could explain why the Philippine
Forest Turtle is so difficult to find in the wild.
During May and June, we had to temporarily
stop our field activities due to fierce fighting
over the elections! However, we will resume
our comprehensive surveys in July and August
and hope to discover populations of this
indeed very rare and endemic turtle. Finding
wild populations of the Philippine Forest
Turtle in southern Palawan is a challenge
and additional discoveries in this part of the
island would provide better conservation
opportunities for this endangered turtle.
acknowledgments
I
thank
the
following organizations:
Endangered Species International (ESI), Turtle
Conservation Fund (TCF), BP Conservation
Programme, Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA)
with Batchelor Foundation funding, British
Chelonia Group (BCG), Sophie Danforth
Conservation Biology Fund, Soptom, Palawan
State University (PSU), Palawan Council of
Sustainable Development (PCSD). I am also
very grateful to the following individuals:
Dr. Teresita L. Salva (PSU President), Dr.
Michael Pido (PSU), Dr. Lorna Gelito (PSU),
Reymar Castillo (PSU), Maria Rosefa Lanuzo
(ESI), Andreas Rytz (ESI), Marianne Carter
(BP Conservation Programme), Kate Stokes
(BP Conservation Programme), Robyn
Dalzen (Bp Conservation Programme), Lynn
Duda (Wildlife Conservation Society), the
Palaw'ans, Tegbuanas, Molbogs, and all the
team members from Palawan.
Above photos: The local turtle team in Palawan
conducting surveys and conservation activities
for the Philippine Forest Turtle.
Distribution of posters and calendars on
the Philippine Forest Turtle to the local
communities.
Small cards distributed to locals to learn how to identify the Philippine Forest Turtle from other
native turtle species.
ANDreAS ryTzPIerre FIDeNCIPIerre FIDeNCIPIerre FIDeNCIPIerre FIDeNCI
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39
TURTLE CONSERVATION FUND: A FIVE YEAR HISTORY
TcF: a Five year History
Hugh Quinn and anders rhodin
Turtle conservation Fund co-chairs
The Turtle Conservation Fund (TCF) is
a strategizing and granting agency that
was formed in May 2002 from a need to
help curb the growing global turtle crisis. A
partnership of Conservation International's
Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (CI/
CABS), The World Conservation Union/
Species Survival Commission/ Tortoise and
Freshwater Specialist Group (IUCN/SSC/
TFTSG) and the Turtle Survival Alliance
(TSA), the TCF mission is to assure that no
tortoise or freshwater turtle species becomes
extinct, and that sustainable populations of all
species persist in the wild.
A turtle conservation action plan was prepared
to provide a directional basis to implement
the mission. Examples of activities included
in the plan are support for ex situ captive
breeding and management programs both
in-range and out-of-range, in situ protection
and management of natural populations,
field-based conservation biology and applied
research, field and trade surveys, threatened
status and regulatory needs determinations,
protected areas evaluations and development,
and capacity building. A list of the "Top
25 Turtles on Death Row" provided further
direction to TCF's endeavors.
Several sources of funds were secured to
implement this plan. Since inception,
TCF has received 84 grant requests for
turtle conservation funding. Total project
support requested for these 84 proposals was
$1,588,360, of which $543,273 was requested
specifically as support from TCF. Of these
proposals, TCF funded 29 critically important
turtle conservation projects for a total Grants
Program disbursement of $111,974. The
average annual disbursement over 4 years has
been $29,993, which represents 7.6% of the
total grant support requested, and 20.6%
of the grant support requested specifically
from TCF. Awards have averaged $3,861
and ranged from $1,000 to $6,000, and
were provided to projects conducted in (or
concerning) 26 different nations: Philippines,
Cambodia, Colombia,
India,
Indonesia,
Germany, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria,
Egypt, Malaysia, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico,
Myanmar, Bolivia, Guatemala, Bangladesh,
Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico,
Haiti, Dominican Republic, and China.
A few examples of results from funded
projects include: providing key information
to communities along the upper Magdalena
River in Columbia about the plight and
conservation needs of
its
endangered
Magdalena River Turtle (Podocnemis lewyana);
documentation of illegal trade of the critically
endangered Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle
(Chelodina mccordi); head-starting and release
of the critically endangered River Terrapin
(Batagur baska) in Malaysia; development of
community-based conservation programs for
the endangered Egyptian Tortoise (Testudo
kleinmanni); formation of a turtle conservation
facility at the Mnster Zoo, Germany; and
gaining a better understanding of the ecology,
distribution, and conservation needs of the
poorly known, critically endangered Philippine
Pond Turtle (Heosemys leytensis).
Building on the successes and challenges
of the past, TCF will enhance its future by
1) more proactively soliciting proposals; 2)
focusing its limited resources more on projects
that enhance the survival of only the most
critically endangered species; 3) seeking more
funding sources while retaining existing ones,
and striving for higher contribution levels;
4) critically reviewing its five-year-old action
plan and list of target species; 5) seeking to
coordinate turtle conservation efforts further
with other organizations; and 6) formally
evaluating its progress in fulfilling its mission.
By addressing these issues, TCF can more
effectively meet the challenge of making a
lasting difference in turtle conservation efforts
worldwide.
Visit: www.TurtleConservationFund.org to
learn more.

The Magdalena River Turtle (Podocnemis
lewyana) has been the subject of several TCF
funded projects designed to provide a greater
understanding of the biology of this poorly
known species.
Some of the early field work on the Philippine
Forest Turtle
(Heosemys
leytensis) was
provided by the TCF.
This Philippine Forest Turtle was encountered
along a small creek in Palawan.
PIerre FIDeNCIBatchelor Foundation funding for the
TSa: executive Summary, 2005 2007
rick Hudson
The 2005 Batchelor Foundation grant
provided TSA with $100,000
in
support for turtle conservation projects
and programs in eight Asian countries plus
Mexico. Furthermore, the grant provided
critical assistance to over half (10) of the 18
Asian chelonian species ranked Critically
Endangered (CR) by the IUCN Red List.
One of the fortuitous impacts of the grant
was the additional money that TSA leveraged
through matching funds and partnerships.
Nearly $30,000 in outside funds were
contributed toward facility construction
in Myanmar, India, and Cambodia from
three organizations including the Wildlife
Conservation
Society
(WCS), British
Chelonia Group (BCG) and the European
Aquarium and Zoo Association (EAZA)
Shellshock Campaign. The grant also
strategically positioned the TSA in three of the
top five most important countries for turtle
conservation in Asia Myanmar, Vietnam
and India. Support for existing programs
in those countries, such as the Cuc Phuong
Turtle Conservation Center in Vietnam,
the Burmese Roofed Turtle program at
Yadanobon Zoo in Mandalay and the Indian
Turtle Conservation Program with the Madras
Crocodile Bank Trust, has tremendously
expanded the scope of these efforts. Notably
the Batchelor Foundation-funded workshop
in India produced the Conservation Action
Plan for Endangered Freshwater Turtles and
Tortoises of India, published in 2006 and
now being implemented on numerous fronts
throughout that country. Our support for
KUSTEM University's (Malaysia College
of Science and Technology) River Terrapin
research program in Malaysia, and the
Siamese Narrow-headed Softshell breeding
program at the Kanchanaburi Inland Fisheries
Development Center in Thailand have both
generated credible and useful scientific data
with direct management implications. Also
important has been the provision of start
up funding through seed grants to projects
in the Philippines, Brazil and Bangladesh,
all impacting critically endangered turtle
species.
Likewise, the 2007 Batchelor Foundation
proposal, if successful, will produce substantial
and far-reaching
impacts.
Additional
funding will increase our level of involvement
in India, Myanmar and Vietnam, and
extend our involvement in the single most
important country for turtle conservation
in Asia - China. There our efforts will be
directed towards the recovery of the Yangtze
Giant Softshell Turtle, a species with the
dual distinction as being the world's largest
and most endangered freshwater turtle. Our
2007 program will also move the TSA into
Madagascar, a hotspot of tortoise diversity and
endemism, with six taxa all facing imminent
threats. Our immediate focus there will be
the protection of the Ploughshare Tortoise,
ranked critically endangered the IUCN Red
List. We will also expand our program in
Mexico for the critically endangered Central
American River Turtle, with emphasis on
the development of a sustainable model
for farming this heavily exploited species.
Another new component for the 2007
program includes North American efforts
to improve museum facilities for the highly
endangered Yellow-blotched Map Turtle in
Mississippi with an eye towards developing
a prototypic solar-powered hatchling rearing
tank that can be exported to our range county
programs that lack electricity. Funds were also
earmarked to monitor a recently reintroduced
population of Alligator Snapping Turtles in
Oklahoma, which will provide important new
information on the behavior and survival of
this species in a novel environment. Finally,
the 2007 Batchelor Foundation funds will
mobilize a significant amount of matching
funds. With a generous offer of $125,000
for turtle conservation work in Myanmar
and Madagascar on the table (WCS donor),
dependent on securing a 1:1 match, this grant
will leverage an additional $30,600 for work
in those two vitally important countries.
Funds allocated ($15,000) for the much
-heralded and highly successful Vietnam-
based Asian Turtle Program will match equal
contributions from the Cleveland Metroparks
Zoo and the Wade Foundation. We hope
to be able to announce this next round of
funding in August 2007.
BATCHELOR FOUNDATION: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2005-2007
august 2007 turtle survival alliance
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Conservation Funding in Action
Conservation Funding in Action
40
41
2007 ASIAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
august 2007 turtle survival alliance
turtle survival alliance august 2007
Scholarship Programs
Significant Breedings
William espenshade, Director
asian Scholarship Program for in-situ chelonian conservation
FEIYAN ZHANG is the 2007 Asian Scholarship Program for in situ Chelonian Conservation (ASPin-situCC.org) program participant. She
works at the Chelonian Garden at Huidong Gangkou, Sea Turtle National Reserve Management Bureau in Guangdong Province of China,
also known as Sea Turtle Bay.

FeiYan recently completed a four-year degree at Guangdong University in Agriculture, and when she returns to China this fall, she will enter
an MSc program in molecular biology. Part of her undergraduate work involved surveying the turtle farms in her home province; some farm
complexes are 4,000 hectares in size, and others are intensely managed roof top ponds.

FeiYan is a very committed and enthusiastic ASP participant. Her dedication and interest in chelonian conservation comes from a lifelong
passion. For people like FeiYan, with the continued support of the Turtle Survival Alliance, the Wetlands Institute, and several chapters of the
Californian Turtle and Tortoise Club, chelonian conservation becomes a tenable goal.
Chris Tabaka reports several significant breedings including an
african Hingeback Tortoise (Kinixys belliana belliana). Three eggs
were laid on 5 December 2005 weighing 28 32 grams each; one
hatchling pipped on 18 July 2006 after 223 days of incubation and
weighed 13.3 grams with a large yolk sac.

Chris also hatched his fifth southern vietnamese Box Turtle (Cuora
picturata) after getting one or two hatchlings a year for the last four
years. This egg was laid on 27 March 2006 and weighed 26.6 grams;
the hatchling emerged on 18 July after a 111-day incubation period
and weighed 16.1 grams. Chris reports that he has had the best success
incubating in a sphagnum/vermiculite mix in one of his warm turtle
rooms with variable temperatures and humidity. He experienced a
number of late embryonic deaths using a standard set temperature
incubator. Clutch size is one to two eggs, and his breeding groups lay
one to two clutches per year.
CHrIS TABAkACHrIS TABAkAThe San Diego Zoo successfully reproduced three species of Asian
turtles in the first half of 2007. roti island Snake-necked Turtles
(Chelodina mccordi) produced a clutch of 13 eggs on 20 January. After
a 97-day incubation at 30 C the eggs began to hatch and six young
emerged from this clutch. Another clutch of five eggs was laid on 3
March and is still incubating.
DoN Boyer
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Significant Breedings
Significant Breedings
rICo wALDerANDy kAUkeINeNMATT vAUgHANBILL NINeSLINgCHrIS TABAkAThe Fort Worth Zoo reports their first hatching of Pan's Box Turtle
(Cuora pani) in 2006. Eggs were laid on 19 Jun and hatched on 21 -
23 August. The two hatchlings measured 33.4 mm and 32.1mm SCL
and weighed 13.3g and 11.4g. The Zoo maintains a breeding group
of 2.3 adults that were acquired in 1997 and 1998. Infertile eggs
were first produced in 2002 and fertile eggs were laid in 2003 and
in subsequent years; however, all went full term and died in the egg
despite employing an array of incubation temperatures and media.
Bill Ninesling reports the first U.S. captive breeding of Mangrove
Terrapins (Batagur baska) outside of a Zoo (photo). Only one U.S.
facility Bronx Zoo had previously experienced breeding success
with this species but not in recent years. To encourage reproduction
this group was moved to south Florida where they could be
maintained outside under more natural conditions with sunlight. To
stimulate breeding the water temp was raised to 30 C plus. On
24 December the smaller female from the group of 4.2 hauled out
on the bank and laid 20 eggs. Eggs were incubated at 30.5 C, but
only two were fertile, both of which hatched 69 days later. Both
juveniles are growing rapidly on a diet of blood worms, fish, fruits,
and vegetables. A Malaysian Giant river Turtle (Orlitia borneensis)
also hatched during this time frame, the adults coming from the 2001
Kadoorie TSA turtle rescue.
Ben Forrest reports on a successful captive breeding program for the
Forsten's Tortoise (Indotestudo forsteni). His breeding group of 6.7
adults are maintained separately, and all hatchlings have been produced
by one pair. He has maintained them as pairs, but due to aggression, he
feels that group situations are too stressful. Nesting has been recorded
every month except October, and there is no defined nesting period
under captive conditions. Nesting seems to occur every four to eight
weeks, with one to two eggs per clutch. He incubates on a shelf in
his turtle room, on a moist vermiculite medium, at temps ranging
between 25.6-29.4 C, for roughly four months. Nine hatchlings
have been produced since 2005, three so far in 2007 with more fertile
eggs incubating. He feels that they need time to settle into captivity
and that the keys to success are stable temps and an abundance of
food. 80% of their diet consists of soft fruits and vegetables (steamed
carrot, sweet potato, and pumpkin) and mushrooms; the remainder is
greens and some, meat, preferably shrimp.
The San Diego Zoo also had its first reproduction of Malaysian Giant
river Turtles (Orlitia borneensis) with a clutch of nine eggs laid on 25
January (photo). These began to hatch after an incubation period of
113 days at 30 C.
DoN BoyerA Beal's Four-eyed Turtle (Sacalia bealei) hatched at the Tennessee
Aquarium in Chattanooga on 9 June 2007 after a 59-day incubation
period. The Beal's Four-eyed Turtle was once common throughout
southern China but has seen significant declines in its population in
recent years. The species is currently maintained by only three North
American zoos and aquariums and is listed as Endangered by the IUCN
Red List. This hatching may represent the first successful reproduction
of this species in a North American public institution. The clutch of
three eggs was deposited from 11 14 April 2007. Only one egg was
determined to be fertile. The egg was partially buried in and incubated
on moist vermiculite at 28.3 C. The incubation period lasted 59 days
and the hatchling weighed 6 grams upon emergence.
Andy Kaukeinen reports that Zoo Atlanta hatched their third arakan
Forest Turtle (Heosemys depressa). An adult pair, on loan from Scott
Davis, first reproduced at Atlanta in 2005 when a single hatchling
emerged on 8 April from a clutch of four eggs laid 16 November
2004; incubation was at 28.8 C. A second clutch of four eggs was
deposited on 1 January 2006 and two hatched on 1 May, after 120
days of incubation. Unfortunately, both hatchlings developed yolk
peritonitis and succumbed within a month of hatching. Poor hatching
success was attributed to a Hovabator incubator that maintained low
humidity and fluctuating temperatures. Using improved incubation
techniques, a clutch of two eggs laid on 20 December 2006 hatched
on 25 April and 2 May 2007. Eggs were set on vermiculite at a 1:1
ratio with water, and incubated at 29.4 C, at a steady 70% humidity.
Both hatchlings are reported to be vigorous and healthy. In total, three
hatchlings currently survive from five hatched over a three year period.
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Thank you for your support!
An indispensable herpetological
reference: Articles, Features,
Husbandry, Historical Perspectives,
Natural History, & more. Published
quarterly. The journal is available
with your membership. Join today
and help support our mission to
conserve reptiles and the natural
habitats and ecosystems that support
them.
www.IRCF.org /membership.html
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MEMBERSHIP FOUR ISSUES/YEAR. DUES: DOMESTIC $25 INTERNATIONAL $55
The TSa gratefully acknowledges the following supporters for their generous contributions of $200 or more
during the July 2006 to June 2007 time frame.
Brett and Nancy Stearns, Beneficia Foundation, California Turtle and Tortoise Club (CTTC) Too Slo Chapter, CTTC Turtle and Tortoise
Care Society, Central Illinois Herp Society, Cleveland AAZK Chapter, Columbus Zoo, Conservation International, Dallas Zoo, Denver
Zoo, Detroit Zoological Institute, Fort Worth Zoo, Jack Cato, Los Angeles Zoo, Lombardino Family Fund, Matt Frankel, Ocean Park
Conservation Foundation in Hong Kong, Orlando Diaz, San Antonio Zoo, Walter Sedgwick, David Shapiro, Taste of Thai Foods, Ron and
Marilyn Tremper, Woodland Park Zoo, and ZooMed, Inc.
2007 TSa conference Support
The TSA joint annual Turtle and Tortoise Symposium has grown tremendously in scope and attendance, and is now an international event,
widely recognized as THE tortoise and freshwater turtle meeting to attend. Likewise, the planning and execution have become a rigorous and
time consuming process that demands the hard work and commitment of a growing number of individuals and organizations. We are grateful
to those that who dedicated so much of their time and energy to making this Symposium possible. First to our sponsor Zoo Atlanta, we want
to recognize the work of Dwight Lawson and Julia Knox for handling the logistics of getting this conference established. Ron Determan and
Ellen Martin of the Atlanta Botanic Garden are also to be commended.
Several individuals in particular deserve special mention: Lonnie McCaskill (Conference chairman), Chuck Schaffer (Conference Program
chairman), Julia Knox (Zoo Atlanta) and Heather Lowe (Fort Worth Zoo) all have gone above and beyond to make this event a success. Both
took on demanding duties and performed them effectively, exceeding the level of efficiency that we have grown to expect. Rose Tremblay and
her team from Disney organized the TSA merchandise booth and handled all the TSA auction details; both of these are major fundraisers for
us and we count on their expert support.
Donors and sponsors for the 2007 TSA joint annual Turtle and Tortoise Symposium include ZooMed, Inc, Reptiles magazine, Eric Goode,
Nancy and Brett Stearns, Matt Frankel, CTTC Turtle and Tortoise Care Society, and the BBQ Boys Greg George, Dave Manser and Jay
Allen.
We owe a special debt of gratitude to a dedicated group of volunteers whose time and commitment mean so much to TSA's continue success:
Darrell Senneke (web site and communications), Bill Ninesling (animal management), Annabel Ross (records and permits), Heather Lowe
(memberships), Sandy Binns (web site ), John Binns (newsletter), AJ Gutman (newsletter review), Joel Friesch (T-shirt artwork), ECO WEAR
(T-shirt manufacturer), Rose Tremblay (conference support), and the many veterinarians who give tirelessly to care for TSA turtles. Special
thanks are extended to the Fort Worth Zoo for their generous institutional support, and for allowing staff members the time to pursue TSA
activities.

The TSa was founded on partnerships and today those collaborations represent our core strength. The following is a list of
some of the strategic partnerships that have contributed to the success of the TSa in the past year:


Asian Turtle Conservation Network


California Turtle & Tortoise Club


Chelonia Enterprises


Chelonian Research Foundation


Chelonian Research Institute


Cleveland Metroparks Zoo


Conservation International


Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation & Ecology Program


Disney's Animal Kingdom


Fort Worth Zoo


International Reptile Conservation Foundation


John L. Behler Chelonian Conservation Center


Kadoorie Farm & Botanic
Garden
Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
Petraworks, Inc.
Purina Mills / Mazuri
Reptiles Magazine
Savannah River Ecology Lab
Taste of Thai Foods
Wildlife Conservation Society
World Chelonian Trust
Zeigler and Zeigler, Inc.
Zoo Atlanta
Zoological Society of San Diego
ZooMed, Inc.
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august 2007 turtle survival alliance
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TURTle SURvIvAl AllIANCe
For membership information, or to contact the TSA please visit: www.TurtleSurvival.org
Or send your coorspondence to: Turtle Survival Alliance 1989 Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth TX 76110