How learning more about can help conserve sea turtles

　　
　　This is an Olive ridley turtle fitted with satellite-relayed data logger in French Guiana. Credit: Copyright: JYGeorges
Ecologists are a step closer to understanding one of nature's most extraordinary sights – the 'arribada' or synchronised mass nesting of female olive ridley sea turtles. The new study, published today in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Animal Ecology, is the first to combine three different approaches – genetics, demography and behaviour, and the results should help conserve these vulnerable marine creatures.
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The study, lead by Virginie Plot of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France, gathered three sets of data. First, to get an accurate estimate of the size of the olive ridley population in French Guiana, the ecologists monitored nesting beaches at Cayenne and Remire-Montjoly every night during the nesting season (May to September) each year between 2002 and 2010.
Then, to learn more about how the turtles behave before coming ashore, they attached satellite data loggers to the shells of 10 individuals. By recording data every 10 seconds and sending them by satellite every time the turtles surface for breathing, these units gave a detailed picture of the turtles' geographic location, the depth and duration of their dives and the temperature of the water.
Finally, the team took skin samples from the turtles so they could investigate the variability of their DNA. These tests reveal the genetic diversity of the population and also allow researchers to estimate past population levels.
The results show that although olive ridley numbers in French Guiana have increased during the past 10 years, the population suffered a massive collapse in the past 2,000 years.

　　These are Olive ridley turtle hatchlings in French Guiana. Credit: Copyright: Sébastien Barrioz, Kwata
According to Ms Plot: "Looking at the DNA of these turtles tells us that they come from a much larger population, one that has collapsed by 99% over the past 2,000 years. This is one of the sharpest collapses ever reported in large species and their population in French Guiana remains at a critical level."
The researchers found that even though fewer than 2,000 olive ridleys nest in French Guiana, they still synchronise their breeding, all leaving the sea to lay their eggs on the beach on the same nights. Until now, this behaviour had only been recorded among large populations of olive ridleys in India, Costa Rica and Mexico.
And thanks to the data loggers, the researchers gained a unique insight into how the turtles behave at sea between successive nesting events. During the first part of the nesting season individual turtles show a wide range of diving behaviour. Then, triggered by a cue that remains a mystery, they all start behaving in the same way, returning to the nesting beach and performing regular, systematic and shallow dives.

Gopher tortoise survival.

Nearly 20 percent of Mobile County, Alabama’s population lives below the poverty level. Low incomes have created a demand for small, affordable house lots, fragmenting the longleaf pine habitat essential to the threatened gopher tortoise. Much of the undeveloped habitat is in poor condition because of inadequate management.
Afraid it would run afoul of the Endangered Species Act, Mobile County stopped issuing building permits in 1999 for areas with tortoise populations. Besides being controversial among landowners and developers, it quickly became apparent that a moratorium by itself would not improve gopher tortoise survival.
The Mobile Area Water and Sewage System (MAWSS) proposed that the County establish a “conservation bank” on properties around its reservoir. The “bank” is a large piece of property that can be managed more effectively than a smaller number of unconnected tracts. Landowners and developers who had tortoise habitat on their property could purchase credits to fund management at the “bank” and to continue building. The MAWSS could also use credits to add more land to the bank, expanding its quality habitat that more than makes up for land lost to development.
In 2001, about 220 acres of longleaf pine habitat became the gopher tortoise conservation bank. Today, more than 55 bank credits have been sold for $3,500 per credit. As the bank’s owner, MAWSS finances tortoise conservation on its lands while helping to avoid a costly endangered species controversy.
Environmental Defense assisted in designing the conservation bank and drafting its habitat conservation plan. The USDI Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) works with MAWSS to manage the bank and monitor the tortoise population. The University of South Alabama also monitors the bank, while a science advisory board assists with the bank’s operation.

Give the tortoise inoculated

　　It’s 5 a.m. and a busy morning for the staff at the San Diego Zoo Desert Tortoise Conservation Center (DTCC) in Las

　　Pamela carefully places a desert tortoise into the Mojave Desert.
Vegas, Nevada. We are anxious for the big day ahead, because it’s time for our fall translocation of desert tortoises back to the Mojave Desert, where they will live freely in their native habitat.
This day begins unlike most days in the Las Vegas Valley; the air is cool, and dark, ominous clouds linger over the city. As our mini-caravan of 3 vehicles, 10 people, and 72 tortoises head south on the I-15 toward the U.S. Fish & Wildlife-approved release site, we enjoy a torrential downpour of rain! The clouds are so dark, and the wind and rain are so strong, that it’s difficult to see the vehicles ahead of us. It has been a long, hot, dry summer, and we are thrilled to see the rain, but we think that perhaps this may not be the best day for hiking and releasing tortoises. But only moments later the storm passes, the skies are clear, and it’s another beautiful morning in the Mojave Desert.

　　The DTCC team provides fluids to a tortoise about to be released.
When we arrive at the release site, DTCC staff members administer fluids to the tortoises, ensuring they are well hydrated for their new journey. We take our time, because we want to give every tortoise the best chance of survival, and providing them with these extra fluids may carry them through a period of unexpected drought in the months to come.
Once the final tortoise is released, we take a deep breath, admire the beautiful landscape, and head back to civilization. But on the way, we discovered a wild tortoise crossing a paved road. Normally, we would watch the tortoise from a distance, ensuring its safe arrival to the other side of the road, but not this time. In the distance we see a fast-moving vehicle heading straight toward us, so we immediately jump out of our truck, and Paul, one of our seasonal research assistants, quickly but carefully moves the tortoise off the road to safety several hundred yards into the desert. What a great way to end the day; we saved a wild tortoise from possible injury or death.

　　The desert tortoise moments before its rescue from an oncoming vehicle.
Every translocation we conduct takes place at a release site here in southern Nevada that is approved by our partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and the Bureau of Land Management. The San Diego Zoo is the only organization approved by USFWS to return desert tortoises to the desert; that’s because we put tortoises through a full battery of medical and behavioral tests for at least a year to ensure they are completely healthy before they leave the facility.

This newborn Galapagos tortoise

　　This newborn Galapagos tortoise looks tiny as it stands next to its massive mum - who is a staggering 3,000 times bigger.
The hatchling weighed just 87 grams when it was born and will take 30 years to get to the same size as its mother, who is a massive 256 kilos.
Keepers will not know if it is male or female for several years so have given it the unisex name NJ.
The tortoise - who is barely the size of its mum's foot - can expect to live to 150 years.

　　Hello titch: This newborn Galapagos hatchling weighed just 87 grams when it was born and will take 30 years to get to the same size as its mother
Its mum has become a first-time mother at the age of 90 but will play no role in its up-bringing.
As soon as a Galapagos tortoise is born they are left to fend for themselves.
The youngster is now roaming around its pen and nibbling on fruit and flowers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in New South Wales, Australia.
Keeper Jennifer Conaghan said: 'A Galapagos tortoise can live between 100 and 150 years so we expect NJ to be around long after we have all gone.
'It loves exploring the outside environment and is especially active on warm sunny days.

　　Hungry fella: Keepers will not know if the Galapagos addition is male or female for several years so have given it the unisex name NJ
'We are very careful with NJ's diet and it currently gets fed three to four times per week.
'The diet is as varied as possible and includes a variety of edible plant species, lucerne hay, herbs and finely chopped fruit and vegetables.
'Our Galapagos tortoise are responsive to bright coloured, edible flowers and fruit, such as roses, hibiscus, grapes and watermelon. But just like any youngster we ensure the hatchling eats all the veggies first.'
The zoo has been attempting to breed the Galapagos Tortoise for the last ten years.
Jennifer added: 'It involves manipulating and fine-tuning our husbandry techniques to achieve this fantastic result.
'At the end of the day however, regardless of what we do, it is up to the individual animals compatibility.
'There has only been a handful of zoos around the world that have had success with breeding this species and we currently have more eggs in the incubator.
'The incubation process is very temperature dependant and once the female lays the eggs the incubation time may take three to five months.
'NJ weighed in at about 87gms at hatching, which is about 0.00034 per cent of the size of its mum. It therefore has lots of growing to do over the next 30 years or so until it catches up.
'Although the size difference is huge, NJ is an exact replica of the adults.
'It's amazing to think of how much growing it has to do and the challenges any young hatchling would struggle with in the wild.
'Galapagos Tortoise are very responsive to getting a rub under the chin from their keepers and will stand up and extend themselves up for as long as you want to scratch them.
'They do have loads of personality but like everything to do with them - nothing happens quickly so you just have to be a little more patient to see it.'

Africa, south of the Sahara Tortoise

　　Range: Africa, south of the Sahara
Habitat: Savannahs, Grasslands. Human Farming areas.

　　Natural Diet: Vegetarian diet, heavy in grasses.
Diet at Rain Forest: Fresh diet prepared daily of various types of greens.
Size: Females 20-25 Pounds--Males 25-60 Pounds. (record size is over 150 pounds)
Rain Forest Facts: The African Spur thigh tortoise lays a surprisingly large clutch of eggs, most tortoises lay a small number of eggs, usually 2-4, the African Spur thigh tortoise can lay as many as 20 eggs per clutch, with several clutches possible in a breeding season. The largest main-land dwelling tortoise, the African Spur Thigh Tortoise is only eclipsed in size by the island dwelling species of the Galapagos and Aldabra Islands.
Many types of animals utilize the burrows created by the digging of the African Spur Thigh tortoise. This powerful animal excavates long burrows into the soil to escape the mid-day heat of the African sun. Both vertebrates and invertebrates utilize the long burrows as shelter, the loss of such an important animal as the Spur Thigh would result in a domino effect on many other species that depend on the tortoise for shelter.

The turtle breeding methods

1 feeding

Pond turtles are in captivity, tank support, tubs raising ponds and reservoirs to support a variety of ways, each with advantages and disadvantages, you can choose according to local conditions. Specialized households in general and small-scale farms, to build ponds better, because this way, easy management, cost-effective as well.
Pond construction: pond turtles and turtle breeding pond can refer to the young turtle breeding pond and pool construction specifications and methods. Built into the turtle pool and also into a turtle pond turtle's almost, but the area can be larger, so that a greater number of turtle farming. If the turtle into a large pool, you can also fish, turtles polyculture, in the pool to support a number of herbivorous and filter-feeding fish, in order to improve overall economic efficiency of farming. Turtle will have to pay attention to holes, the features easy to escape, so the walls of the base of a wall to about 50 cm deep underground.
2 turtles feed and feeding
Turtle feeding wider, rice, wheat, peas, fish, shrimp, insects, snails, etc fine to eat pork, which is a favorite food to eat fish, fine pork, corn. Captivity, the turtles grow to meet the nutritional needs of a variety, to avoid feed a single, stunted growth and produce anorexia should be used in a variety of feed, animal feed such as fish, snails, mussels and plants, etc. feed in rice, wheat, corn and so on. To get the turtle to fully digest the feed, the feed before feeding should be subject to the corn, peas and other crushed, soaked 2 hours, and other large pieces of food also must first chopped before feeding. Should also be noted that the growth in different periods of the turtle should vote according to their growth characteristics of feed containing different nutrients.
Turtle's life and weather closely, feeding the beginning of April each year; 6 a feeding activity reached a peak in August, the fastest weight gain; to October the temperature gradually decreased to eat after the start of its decline, when the temperature dropped below 10 degrees Celsius , stop feeding into hibernation. Therefore, feeding should be based on growth characteristics of the turtle to carry out the general requirements to do the following:

1) time. Low temperatures in spring and fall, sooner or later, the turtle is not active, only in the noon feeding, it should be 8 to 9 am in the morning of feed fed. To the autumnal equinox is a turtle from the Guyu feeding season, a time filled summer, turtles generally inactive at noon, and 17 more in the afternoon feeding a 19-time activities, it is feeding a 17 to 16 in the afternoon, when appropriate. Timing can make turtle feeding time, get more nutrition, and also to ensure that feed fresh.
(2) position. Positioned along the pond shore sub-set a fixed feed point, feeding point of potable water station to close, easy to swallow water turtle bite. Positioning of feed fed to enable the turtle habit, easy to find their food, while allowing observation of turtles feeding activities and check the situation.
(3) qualitative. Feeding the feed should be kept fresh, after feeding, to promptly remove leftover residue of food, feed, to prevent rotting smelly, affect the turtle's appetite and water pollution.
(4) quantitatively. Feed ration as temperature, water quality, the turtle's appetite and activity may be in order when the appetite and activity may be, to a little rest when the meal is appropriate. Generally every 1 - 2 days feeding 1.
3. Hatchlings feeding
Newly hatched hatchling body is weak, stomach function and digestion is also weak, it should not be stocked in the breeding pool immediately, but should be well-fed and care for some alone time, to improve the survival rate of hatchlings.
Hatchlings feeding and care principles are: 1. To improve sanitation, prevent turtles sick. (2) degree of control appropriate temperature and astringent, to facilitate its normal growth. 3. Hatchlings develop gradually adapt to the environment, self-feeding. Specifically: the newly hatched hatchling first on a small glass box, let it crawl three to five hours until the hatchlings after convergence of the umbilical cord dry off, with 0.6% saline immersion moment for disinfection, then placed in glass boxes or tubs in the indoor feeding. Avoid artificial strong pull off the umbilical cord hatchling, juvenile turtles that would cause casualties. Hatchling rearing tank 1 a day changing the water 2 times, strict control of water temperature at 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, hot weather to keep the box needs to spray several times to adjust the temperature and increase oxygen in the water, the hatchlings to the normal growth under appropriate conditions. 1 one of the newly hatched juvenile turtles 2 days without feeding, 2 days after starting to feed a small amount of grain feed, after feeding a small amount of boiled eggs and comminuted fish, frog meat, sweet potato, pumpkin and other mixed feed. After 7 days of feeding, the hatchlings have relatively strong physique can be transferred to outdoor rearing pond keeping.
4 turtle feeding precautions
(1) shall turtles, turtle into the turtle and the pro-feeding sub-pool, to avoid large turtle swallowed a small turtle phenomenon, but also facilitate the identification of feed ration and feeding management, easy to observe and control the growth of the turtle.
(2) due to the mild and timid turtle, four weeks should be kept quiet and kept the pool, so as not to affect the turtle feeding, sunning, mating, spawning and other normal activities.
(3) regular replacement of keeping the pool water, keeping water clean, do a good job keeping the pool of health, to prevent the turtles to disease.
(4) pond four weeks and the sand on the open space between the walls to maintain a certain degree of humidity in the summer season, should take some cooling measures, such as watering, planting small shrubs.
(5) hibernation, check the growth of the turtle, the infirm feed Cadogan, fed turtles eating more feed, so that a large number of turtle product storage of nutrients, long strong body through the winter.
(6), when some young turtles do not know how to eat, this time, you can grab it Zuo Zhao, pull it out, then seize it Youzhao, two with mild to pull, it will be stuck head, and then clip it to light about the direction of the head, mouth, etc. It is when the shrimp (food) to go into it know what to eat, as you put the bite on two of the food will.
5. Hibernating Management
Turtles are cold-blooded animal, life influenced by environmental temperature. November to next March, when the temperature is below 10 ℃, the turtle lying in the bottom of mud or loose soil Woyu covered with straw, do not eat does not move, for hibernation, when its new array of metabolic very slow and weak. Until early April, when temperatures rose to above 15 ℃, the turtle began to resume activity and feeding so large in hibernation without feeding diets, and need not change the water, the main work of this period first heat, as in the pool four weeks and the space between the pool and the wall is covered with straw; second is to prevent the tortoise against predators.