Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal最新文献

{"title":"A Survey of Reeves' Turtle (Mauremys reevesii) in Qichun County, Hubei Province, China","authors":"R. Bu, Zihao Ye, F. Xiao, H. Shi","doi":"10.2744/CCB-1544.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1544.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Reeves' turtle (Mauremys reevesii) originated in China and was once one of the most widely distributed and abundant hard-shelled turtles in China; however, overharvesting has led to a sharp decline in its wild populations. A survey of Reeves' turtle was conducted from July 2021 to March 2022 in Qichun County, Hubei Province, China. A total of 74 individuals were caught in 26 ponds (1078 trap-days), indicating a catch effort population density of 0.07 individuals/trap-day. The 840 similar ponds in the field-surveyed towns indicate a population number of 2391 individuals and density of 4 individuals/km2. Our preliminary results suggest that Reeves' turtle populations face serious threats from human hunting activities, habitat destruction, and artificial release and urgently require an aggressive conservation program to ensure their survival.","PeriodicalId":126915,"journal":{"name":"Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131004006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecology of Phrynops geoffroanus and Mesoclemmys tuberculata (Testudines: Chelidae) in Climatically Distinct Areas of the Semi-Arid Caatinga and Atlantic Forest in Northeast Brazil","authors":"D. O. Santana, R. G. Faria, D. O. Mesquita","doi":"10.2744/CCB-1498.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1498.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In general, chelonians are widely distributed, occupying areas with significant environmental variation, which may lead to great variations in their ecology such as morphological characteristics, sexual dimorphism, population structure, and reproductive aspects. In this context, our main objective was to characterize populations of Phrynops geoffroanus and Mesoclemmys tuberculata in areas of Caatinga and Atlantic Forest in Northeast Brazil to evaluate the relative importance of intraspecific factors and environmental differences in determining ecological parameters. Samples were collected in semiannual surveys (dry and rainy season) over a year. We measured morphometric variables and the mass of captured animals and correlated the reproductive pattern with the season and adults' reproductive condition. We did not find significant differences in size, maximum straight-line carapace length (SCL), or body mass of both species, regardless of sex, between the studied environments. We recorded reproductive males of both species throughout the year (dry and rainy seasons), and testicular volume was positively correlated with SCL. In contrast, eggs and oocytes were recorded exclusively in females collected during the rainy season. However, we found eggs and vitellogenic follicles simultaneously, indicative of multiple clutches in a reproductive season. In P. geoffroanus, we did not find a significant relationship between clutch size and female SCL, although egg volume was positively correlated with SCL. In M. tuberculata, we did not find a meaningful relationship between any of these parameters. Finally, the ecological parameters evaluated differed considerably between species and environments, presenting similar patterns in Caatinga and Atlantic Forest.","PeriodicalId":126915,"journal":{"name":"Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal","volume":"97 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121581188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Loss of Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin pileata) Nesting Habitat in the Northern Gulf of Mexico","authors":"Andrew J. Heaton, Michael J. Archer, Christina F. Mohrman, J. Pitchford","doi":"10.2744/CCB-1536.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1536.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) are a species of turtle that occupy coastal tidal marshes and nest on sandy areas above the high-tide line. Within the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi diamondback terrapin (M. t. pileata) shoreline nesting habitat at Grand Battures (also known as South Rigolets Island) has decreased from a 2.34-km length of surveyable shoreline in 2014 to a 1.45-km length of shoreline in 2021. Depredated nest surveys in 2021 detected the lowest number of nests to date at this location, with increased search effort, and this is likely due to the high rates of erosion described for this area.","PeriodicalId":126915,"journal":{"name":"Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal","volume":"31 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125131991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diet and Habitat of the Scorpion Mud Turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides scorpioides) in the Southern Limit of the Species' Distribution (Argentina)","authors":"M. Cassano, Leandro Alcalde","doi":"10.2744/CCB-1528.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1528.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In this study we describe some ecological features of Kinosternon scorpioides scorpioides from a section of the Argentina's Chaco ecoregion encompassing the provinces of Salta, Chaco, and Formosa, including the description of the capture sites and an analysis of the feeding ecology of the species. Six field trips were made during the spring and summer months from 2016 to 2020. We captured 23 turtles: 8 in Salta, 8 in Chaco, and 7 in Formosa; all corresponding to the dry portion of the Chaco ecoregion. They were found in a variety of aquatic environments (including those with considerable waste and human disturbance), and they also seemed to tolerate some fragmentation of the forest matrix. The analysis of 20 stomach contents and 14 fecal samples corroborated that K. s. scorpioides is predominantly an opportunistic omnivore, capable of feeding upon a diverse variety of invertebrates, some small vertebrates, and large volumes of vegetal material. The present study provides some baseline information about habitat requirements and feeding habits of the southernmost known populations of K. s. scorpioides.","PeriodicalId":126915,"journal":{"name":"Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133120480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fecundity, Female Maturation, and Nesting Season of Western Chicken Turtles (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) in Texas","authors":"Brandon C. Bowers, Rachel L. Hibbitts, Toby J. Hibbitts, D. Walkup, Wade A. Ryberg, R. Lopez, Paul S Crump","doi":"10.2744/CCB-1542.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1542.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The reproductive lifespans of turtles are consistently long, but reproductive cycles are under environmental control and thus can vary within species, populations, and individuals over time and space. Knowledge of turtle species' reproductive traits and their associated variances over time and space are critical to understanding the dynamics of turtle populations, especially those requiring management or conservation. Deirochelys reticularia is a species being considered for protection by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and contains 3 subspecies with some differences in reproductive characteristics of nesting season, annual nesting frequency, and egg retention. We collected ultrasound and x-radiograph data in Texas to identify the maturation size, nesting season, annual nesting frequency, and clutch size of female D. r. miaria in Texas. We observed no reproductive activity in individuals from 101 to 146 mm in plastron length (PL) and detected either unshelled eggs, shelled eggs, or both in individuals from 150 to 197 mm PL. Maturation sizes were similar to those in other regions and for other subspecies. We observed shelled clutches or nesting events from April to July, confirming a spring–summer nesting season in Texas consistent with other D. r. miaria sites and supporting the paradigm that the western subspecies does not follow the autumn–winter nesting season of the other subspecies. We found no evidence that individuals retain shelled eggs while aestivating or overwintering. Individuals nested up to 3 times/yr in Texas. Individuals laid 7–11 eggs and the mean clutch size was 9.2 eggs, similar to other regions and other subspecies. Nesting phenology is regionally variable, so management plans and policies for the species will need to consider that variation and potentially recognize management differences among D. reticularia subspecies.","PeriodicalId":126915,"journal":{"name":"Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127743189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental Analysis of Wavelength Preferences Shown by Hatchling Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea)","authors":"Samantha E. Trail, M. Salmon","doi":"10.2744/CCB-1535.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1535.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In marine turtles it is well established that the shorter light wavelengths in the visible and near-ultraviolet spectrum provide more potent, and preferred, cues for nocturnal seafinding orientation than the longer light wavelengths. In this study, we simultaneously presented leatherback hatchlings (Dermochelys coriacea) with a short near-ultraviolet (380 nm) and a longer visible (500 nm) light stimulus to determine whether that preference was based upon differences in light intensity, light wavelength, or a combination of both variables. We found that under light conditions mimicking those at the nesting beach on the darkest evenings, the behavioral preference for the shorter light wavelengths was based upon intensity cues, although we speculate that under brighter illumination, wavelength cues might also be utilized.","PeriodicalId":126915,"journal":{"name":"Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131986402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reproductive Phenology and Output in Florida Box Turtles (Terrapene bauri) in Southwestern Florida","authors":"Jordan Donini, Rebecca Speer, J. Morton","doi":"10.2744/CCB-1539.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1539.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Box turtle (Terrapene spp.) reproduction has been relatively well studied in northern populations inhabiting more seasonal climates but is much less understood in the subtropics. We assessed female reproduction of T. bauri in southwestern Florida by quantifying courtship, mating, seasonal timing of nesting, clutch frequency, and clutch size. Box turtles were observed courting or mating in 10 out of 12 mo. Radiographs revealed oviducal eggs from January to August. To our knowledge, this is the earliest recorded detection of eggs in wild box turtles. Individual turtles produced 2–4 clutches of 1–5 eggs in a nesting season. This study provides further evidence that turtle populations at warmer climates exhibit extended reproductive seasons compared with similar populations in cooler climates.","PeriodicalId":126915,"journal":{"name":"Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127049548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Historical Trends in New York State Cold-Stunned Sea Turtle Stranding-to-Release: 1998–2019","authors":"Maxine A. Montello, Katie D. Goulder, Robert P. Pisciotta, W. J. McFarlane","doi":"10.2744/CCB-1506.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1506.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Long Island Sound and the Great Peconic Bay (New York) contain southern barrier lagoons and eastern bays and are known habitats for foraging juvenile populations of sea turtles during summer months. Every year, sea turtles strand throughout these areas due to climate-related cold snaps that typically occur in the late fall and lead to cold-stunning, a physiological temperature shock similar to hypothermia that renders turtles unable to swim and prone to wash up onto beaches. Cold-stunning events in this area tend to last longer than a few weeks and typically affect juvenile Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), juvenile green (Chelonia mydas) and subadult loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles. The New York Marine Rescue Center, formally known as the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, is the sole rehabilitation facility for cold-stunned sea turtles in New York and responds to the second-largest number of cold stuns in the Greater Atlantic Region, which encompasses marine ecosystems from Maine to North Carolina. Since 1998, a total of 510 sea turtles have been recovered from New York state waters or beaches between the months of October and February. Of these 510 cases, 5 individuals restranded under similar conditions following rehabilitation and release, resulting in 505 distinct sea turtles stranding due to cold-stunning. These 505 cold-stunned sea turtles were composed of 3 different species: 281 L. kempii (56.0%), 174 C. mydas (31.3%), 48 C. caretta (9.5%), and 2 hybrids (0.4%). Over the course of 22 yrs, stranding frequency varied from 3 to 85 turtles per season, with an average of 23. However, a large increase in stranding numbers began in 2007; average stranding numbers from 1998 to 2006 were 7 per season, increasing to 34 per season from 2007 to 2019. Multiple factors are likely contributing to the increase in stranding/rescue frequency such as the gradual warming of northern waters (which may entice turtles farther north and prevent their timely southern migration), development of a free public outreach program targeted at educating patrons about local sea turtle populations, and implementation of an effective beach patrolling system. More efficient management of patrolling efforts has contributed to the quick response time and resulting increase in live turtle rescues. In addition, modification and enhancement of in-house treatment protocols have contributed to the upward trend of successfully rehabilitated cold-stunned turtles. Understanding historical cold-stun trends will allow local and national organizations to identify needs and allocate funding for conservation initiatives of endangered Atlantic sea turtle populations.","PeriodicalId":126915,"journal":{"name":"Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128594478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterizing Sea Turtle Bycatch in the Recreational Hook and Line Fishery in Southeastern Virginia, USA","authors":"S. A. Rose, Erin B. Bates, Allyson N. McNaughton, Kathryn J. O'Hara, S. Barco","doi":"10.2744/CCB-1476.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1476.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Although commercial hook and line fisheries pose a well-documented and significant threat to worldwide sea turtle populations, recreational hook and line fisheries remain understudied. This article describes information from sea turtle bycatch reported from interactions in the recreational hook and line fishery, as well as survey results from recreational anglers in Virginia from 2014 through 2018. Reports of interactions increased annually during the study with Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) reported most frequently (n = 162), followed by 45 loggerheads (Caretta caretta), 6 green turtles (Chelonia mydas), and 39 unidentified sea turtles. Commonly encountered bait types were similar between surveyed anglers and bait used during turtle interactions, with significantly more squid bait noted during turtle interactions (51%) than used by surveyed anglers (29%) (χ2 = 41.32, p < 0.0001). Additionally, bloodworms and artificial bait were encountered comparatively less frequently during turtle interactions. Overall, interactions with the hook and line recreational fishery in Virginia appear opportunistic and involve otherwise healthy animals, presenting limited means for mitigating sea turtle bycatch. In the absence of regulatory oversight of bycaught sea turtles in the recreational fishery, mitigating injury from these interactions through targeted outreach provides a short-term solution to reducing the severity of these inevitable interactions.","PeriodicalId":126915,"journal":{"name":"Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126137660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic Stock Structure and Differentiation of Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, Rookeries on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands","authors":"E. A. Schultz, E. LaCasella, Kemit-Amon Lewis, Dionne L. Hoskins‐Brown, P. Dutton","doi":"10.2744/CCB-1522.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1522.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Currently, the genetic population structure of only 3 green turtle, Chelonia mydas, rookeries is used to categorize the Eastern Caribbean grouping of the South Atlantic distinct population segment. Tissue samples were collected from 66 nesting green turtles on the East End beaches of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands from 2012 to 2015, and we sequenced ∼ 800 base pairs of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region to characterize the genetic structure and test for differentiation with the adjacent Buck Island rookery. The haplotypes CmA5.1, CmA5.2, and CmA3.1 were identified on the East End beaches. Results of pairwise tests for differentiation were mixed, with frequency-based FST failing to detect differentiation at the p < 0.05 threshold (FST = 0.01148, p = 0.18503), and an exact test indicating significant differentiation (p = 0.02146). The detection of CmA3.1 and not CmA16.1 within the East End beaches adds to the haplotype diversity previously observed in the Eastern Caribbean region and suggests that genetic diversity has been underestimated in previous studies. Further investigation including mitogenomic markers and nuclear DNA analyses would provide additional clarity as to the population structure in this region.","PeriodicalId":126915,"journal":{"name":"Chelonian Conservation and Biology: Celebrating 25 Years as the World's Turtle and Tortoise Journal","volume":"26 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125464366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}