Studbook breeding program Coahuilan Box (Terrapene coahuila)

Photo: M. Jones

Annual report 2007

H. Meijer, studbook coordinator

ANNUAL REPORT 2007 Terrapene coahuila

Contents;

1] Introduction studbook Terrapene coahuila 2007 2] Status in natural habitat: Endangered (IUCN Red List) in entire range 3] Studbook population 2007 4] Locations with Terrapene coahuila 5] Births 6] Deaths 7] Transfers 8] Husbandry of juvenile Coahuilan box (Terrapene coahuila) Attachment 1 Attachment 2 9] Goals studbook Terrapene coahuila 2008 10] Publications 11] Locations Terrapene coahuila outside studbook

1] INTRODUCTION STUDBOOK TERRAPENE COAHUILA 2007

In summer 2007 I received the permission from the ESF (European Studbook Foundation) board to become the studbook keeper for the Terrapene coahuila and to set up the studbook Terrapene coahuila . Main goal is to build, together with the studbook members, a healthy captive population of Terrapene coahuila in Europe. Because this species is threatened in the wild, a genetically healthy population in captivity is important. The ESF studbook is classified as category A, which the classification that has the highest priority. The suspicion is that there are less than 10 bloodlines or less than 100 Terrapene coahuila present in Europe, and because there are no imports it is important to be very careful with this great species in captivity, and for this reason this studbook was set up.

Cuatro Cienegas (photo Troy Hibbit)

2] STATUS IN NATURAL HABITAT: ENDANGERED (IUCN RED LIST) IN THE ENTIRE RANGE

In the middle of the water-scarce Chihuahuan desert is a special place: the Cuatro Cienegas valley. A unique habitat with freshwater springs, streams and wetlands. This is the only place in the world where Terrapene coahuila lives. The unique hydrological system is very delicate and each change by man has a big impact on this environment and the wildlife living there, like Terrapene coahuila . Although it is a National Wildlife Refuge in Mexico, and therefore protected, there are threats. Increased extraction of surface and ground water, for use for farmland in the surrounding area is the main problem. The spread of exotic / and illegal pet-industries are also threats because of the negative impact they have on the Cuatro Cienegas ecosystems and the Terrapene coahuila populations. Acquisition from private land is the main focus to protect the Cuatro Cienegas valley. A very important organization is Pronatura Noreste (PNE), which has been working on conservation in the Cuatro Cienegas area for more than 20 years. Pronatura Noreste has enhanced the habitat in more than 150 pools, with the surrounding wetland areas. This is the critical habitat for Terrapene coahuila. By constructing water control and raising water levels, they improve this habitat, thereby supporting the Terrapene Coahuila.

Cuatro Cienegas (photo Troy Hibbitts)

3] STUDBOOK POPULATION 2007

December 31, 2007 the total studbook population existed of 14.21.4 (39) animals December 31, 2007 the total live population existed of 14.19.4 (37) animals

4] LOCATIONS WITH TERRAPENE COAHUILA

There are 7 locations 2 locations in the Netherlands 1 location in Germany 3 locations in England 1 location in Austria

5) BIRTHS

In 2007 births were recorded at one location. At this location 3 hatchling were born.

6] DEATHS

In 2007 2 deaths were reported A female died suddenly from unknown causes. A female died of old age (wild caught animal imported as an adult by Hausman in 1960)

7] TRANSFERS Because the studbook only started in 2007, no transfers were reported. I would like to thank the Durrell Wildlife Conservation, for their request to become studbook members to the new owners that they found for their Terrapene coahuila in 2007.

8) INTRODUCTION TO THIS ARTICLE

Seeing a lot of Terrapene coahuila in captivity and talking to owners from Terrapene coahuila, I have concluded that there is one problem in raising Terrapene coahuila . There is often a difference between the carapaces in captive-raised Terrapene coahuila , compared to those raised in the wild . A group of animals raised in captivity that I saw in 2007, however, have grown like if they were raised in nature: they have beautiful carapaces. Because we can learn from each others experiences, I asked the owner to write down his experience raising this group for the studbook. The article below is his contribution.

HUSBANDRY OF JUVENILE COAHUILA BOX TURTLES TERRAPENE COAHUILA

No emydid species has as restricted a natural range as does the Coahuila or aquatic , Terrapene coahuila, of northern Mexico. It is restricted to fragile spring-fed wetlands in portions of the Cuatrociénegas basin where several other endemic life forms, from to invertebrates and plants, endure despite anthropogenic disturbances. As the fame of this “desert Galápagos” spreads, human presence in the basin has increased, such that the casual removal of specimens has become a problem rivaling that of habitat loss.

Ironically, this species has proven not only to be hardy, but prolific in captivity as well. Institutional and private breeders of the species have long reported high fertility of and survival of juveniles, and F3 generations are known. It has proven difficult in the United States to find suitable placement for juveniles in some instances. There is no proposal yet to introduce captive bred specimens to re-occupy selected habitat or to launch a local recovery program to increase the species’ numbers, but should such a project come about, the importance of appropriate captive husbandry of the young is increased. The writer here summarizes his own experiences without reference to literature, nor with the intent to proclaim that his methods are faultless or superior to any others. Surely questions and criticism will arise from this account of my experiences, and I congratulate anyone who does better with regard to raising young T. coahuila. My own conclusions, implicit or explicit, concerning practices carried out by others accomplished in the husbandry of this species are simply my own opinions.

BACKGROUND: On 30 September 2005, five newly hatched T. coahuila were given to me. They had been incubated in sub-saturated vermiculite at 28 - 29°C and apparently hatched synchronously. The father was wild-caught whereas the mother had been an F1 specimen. The parents, and other females (all CB) in the breeding group, had produced an undisclosed number of offspring from earlier clutches, raised by other people including the breeder.

HOUSING CONDITIONS: The five neonates have been housed indoors the year round. Originally they were housed together in an opaque plastic tub measuring 57 x 36 x 15 cm into which tap water to a depth of about 5 cm was added. Rather than a land area, a piece of driftwood and broken terra cotta pots were placed to provide both underwater refuges and dry places for basking. Half an overturned dried gourd (Cucurbitaceae), of the type used as a water recipient or dipper in tropical countries, was also placed in the tub to provide an additional light-weight “cave.” Strands of java moss were placed in the water to enhance the natural appearance of an admittedly artificial set-up, and to allow another medium of concealment for the small turtles. Illumination and warmth were provided by a 60 watt full spectrum incandescent bulb suspended about 6 cm above an exposed portion of the wood. The light is not controlled by a timer but rather by only somewhat regular human agency. The artificial photoperiod has varied from about 7 to 10 hours, and is admittedly erratic. During the winter months, an electric heating pad beneath the tub was sometimes used, particularly overnight. The humidity of the room in which the T. coahuila have been kept has varied from about 50 to 85%. The tub has not been covered at night. Natural, unfiltered morning sunlight has been seasonally but irregularly available to the young turtles by opening an adjacent door when weather conditions are appropriate. Such sunlight has usually been subsequently filtered through the opaque plastic tub. During the first few weeks of life, the young were occasionally placed outdoors for 30 minutes or so in a small tub to enhance their synthesis of vitamin D3. However, any disturbance of the turtles since then by moving them about has been kept to a minimum. Not only photoperiod, but temperature variations have been considerable in this set- up. Daily water temperatures have fluctuated between 15.1° and 23.6° during the cool months of the year, the air temperatures themselves being somewhat lower and higher, respectively. The highest water temperature reached is estimated to be around 30°. The tap water used has a pH of 7.0. That in the tubs, exposed to organic compounds in the driftwood, has been as low as 6.8. The water is not filtered but is drained and replaced every 4 weeks; periodically, fecal material is removed with a dipnet. Tap water is added as needed to maintain an approximately equal water depth at all times. Even after 4 weeks without being changed, the water is not malodorous. The choice of freshwater driftwood rather than commercial cork bark or some synthetic material is based on convenience, economics, and esthetics. Not everyone has access to weathered non-coniferous, water-logged wood but wonderful pieces sometimes reward the searcher. Some of mine originated in streams inhabited by freshwater turtles. One piece leaches tannin into the water, darkening it within days, but without apparent harm to the turtles. Like the terra cotta pieces and the gourd, wood is selected which scarcely diminishes the area of the aquatic milieu, while providing both an underwater cover site and a basking platform. As the turtles began to grow, in May 2006 the three largest ones were placed in an opaque tub measuring 59 x 40 x 15 cm., kept at the original place. The water depth was increased slightly, to about 7 cm, so as to exceed the carapace length of the largest turtle. The two smaller ones remained in the original tub which was moved to a site half a metre distant. Lighting and heating conditions, as well as the cleaning regimen, remained more or less the same for both sets of juveniles. Gradually, reliance on artificial heating during the winter months, when the pre-dawn air temperature may dip to 13°, has been reduced. In January 2008, the two smaller turtles replaced the larger trio in the 57 x 36 x 15 cm tub, to which another thin slab of driftwood was added to provide greater concealment potential as well as a larger “land” area. The half gourd has crumbled away but continues to provide concealment, and a fresh gourd piece has been installed. The three larger turtles were then placed in a larger polyethylene tub measuring 81 x 39 x 15 cm, filled with water to a depth of nearly 8 cm. In the center of this is the curvaceous piece of driftwood which provides a “hilly” dry area of perhaps 400 cm2, and which provides both passage and concealment beneath. Half an overturned curved ceramic bowl, of the type traditionally used to offer food or water to a dog or cat, provides another cover site.

FEEDING: Within only 2 weeks of hatching, growth on the carapaces of some of the young was already apparent, before the -tooth had been resorbed. Without wishing to deprive these voracious hatchlings of nourishment, nonetheless I have endeavored from the beginning to avoid overfeeding them. There is no staple item, nor fixed feeding schedule. The young are fed 2 to 4 times a week, sometimes an entire organism such as a cricket, jumbo mealworm (Zophobas), small earthworm (or portion of a large one), or a small garden snail. The former two items are sometimes dusted with powdered cuttlebone (Sepia) before being offered to the young turtles. At least weekly, the turtles are each given a few small pieces of a frozen beef heart- based “turtle pudding” which is not of the same composition as that popularized by Dr. Harald Artner. Nor do I claim it is better, but offer the slightly modified recipe, which was provided by another hobbyist , in an appendix. Nearly all omnivorous turtles in my care are fond of this nutritious blend of animal protein, vegetable fiber, tropical fish flakes, gelatin, and nutritional trace elements. As much as half the diet is composed of commercially available pellets, e.g. Reptomin or trout chow. However, the amount of these offered at any feeding is very limited. Each “meal” for the turtles, which are watched to make sure that each one consumes its share, lasts only a few minutes--sometimes less than a minute. Every time the water is changed, several crumbled pieces of cuttlebone are tossed into each tub. The turtles generally snap these up like candy within a few minutes. They have not shown a taste for leafy greens (which, in puréed form, are present in the frozen pudding) and have never been offered a cut-up baby mouse or other vertebrate prey. Nor have they been seen nibbling on the java moss. GROWTH: The table summarizes the growth of these 5 turtles, designated A, B, C, D, and E. All approximately doubled their maximum straight-line carapace length in the first year. Notwithstanding my attempt to provide uniform husbandry practices, the largest (B) has approximately twice the mass as D at the time of this writing (March 2008). The smallest turtle at hatching, D, remains the smallest of the quintet, yet of the 2 largest neonates, B is still the largest whereas E is the second smallest. The difference in the first year’s growth between these two was nearly 10 mm. Although I have not measured the turtles regularly nor frequently, it appears that despite their undiminished appetites and activity during the winter months, they grow very little between September and April. Whether this reflects the pattern in nature, I do not know.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS: All five turtles appear to be immature females. None of them has ever shown a sign of ill health. None has been seen to bite its sibling despite some inevitable rivalry at feeding times. However, the fifth claw on the left paw of A (the smallest turtle kept with the largest two) appears to have been bitten, as a result of which this turtle has been placed with the similarly-sized smaller duo. Most notably, their alometric growth has been consistent with that of juveniles in the wild, which cannot be said of many, perhaps most, of their conspecifics hatched and reared in European and North American collections, private and public. These tend to bulge laterally, as do young of other species of Terrapene, rather than remaining parallel- sided or nearly so. In coloration as well, the dark brown carapace, flecked with black particularly on the vertebral scutes, is striking but appears to approach the natural trend. The black flecking seems to be greatly reduced in other captives whose overall carapace color is much paler. The soft parts of other captive-bred juveniles and adults which I have seen have usually been 2 shades of gray, or gray and black. While there is considerable variation among adult T. coahuila in their natural environment, and a tendency towards overall darkening in adults (particularly in males), this gray-toned coloration is unusual to say the least. The five which I have raised bear fine, black vermiculations against a straw-colored background, which becomes brown on the top of the head. With age I suspect that the coronal brown will “crowd out” the paler straw coloration elsewhere, and the black markings will fuse to become indistinct. All members of the genus Terrapene seem to be capable of nearly unimaginable ontogenetic transformation, in terms of coloration; the range within T. coahuila appears to be more subtle. The temperature fluctuations to which these turtles are exposed may horrify some keepers, but I assure you, even on the coldest, earliest mornings, they are alert, responsive, and appear ready to devour any food should it be offered them. However, I never feed them at first light. Freezing temperatures are not unknown in the Cuatrociénegas basin although prolonged freezing weather is. Basking behavior among the juveniles seems as erratic as some of my husbandry practices. I regret that they do not actually have earth or sand in which to dig and upon which they may wander about. Nonetheless I believe that the health and habitus of the turtles speak for themselves. It is my belief that overfeeding, and providing consistently high ambient temperatures for these turtles out of a misguided belief that they are delicate, coupled with a misunderstanding of their harsh natural environment, are the causes of abnormal growth which unfortunately is common among captive T. coahuila. It is said that ‘comparisons are odious,’ but they may also be instructive.

TOTAL NUTRITION TURTLE FOOD (via Bob Davis, AR) INGREDIENTS:

4 - 5 lb. fresh beefheart 1/2 lb. fresh or frozen spinach, or fresh kale, dandelion, turnip green, mallow, or mixed-- best without stems 6 capsules wheat germ oil, or 1 tsp. cod liver oil 4 Tbsp. bone meal or ground cuttle bone (preferred) 1 tsp. Vionate or Theralin vitamin & mineral powder 2 cups Tetramin flake fish food 6 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin (about 1/3 c) DIRECTIONS:

1. If possible, ask your butcher to remove as much fat and skin from the liver as feasible, and grind as for hamburger meat. If not, clean meat yourself and cut into 1" cubes or smaller.

2. Dissolve the gelatin in 6 cups cold water and heat slowly until completely dissolved, stirring frequently.

3. Liquify greens with as little water as possible in blender, set aside.

4. Blend gelatin and diced or ground beefheart, about a cup or more at a time, in blender. The residual fat will cling to the sides of the blender vessel--do not scrape until this stage is over and you are ready to clean up, so as to maximize the removal of fat.

5. Fold bonemeal into the resulting puree and mix thoroughly.

6. Add oil, vitamin powder, and flake fish food, stirring slowly to minimize adding air to the mixture, which should be the consistency of soft ice cream.

7. Pour or scoop the completed puree into Ziploc bags of whatever size is convenient, and freeze, or pour into ice cube trays, remove when solidified and store several in Ziplog baggies. Stack and freeze--yield approx.4 lb. This product will store almost indefinitely, and when fed to aquatic turtles, will not crumble in the water after thawing.

I would like to thank the writer for helping the studbook and the members by writing down his experience. There are different methods for raising hatchlings of Terrapene coahuila. This is one of the different methods which results in naturally shaped carapaces. I would also like to thank him very much for the many pictures that he sent and for the permission that he granted for using these in this report. Thanks for your time, for sharing your experience and for your friendship.

Hans Meijer (European Studbookkeeper Terrapene coahuila )

9] GOALS STUDBOOK TERRAPENE COAHUILA 2008

A] By talking to the 3 main breeders in Europe Markus Baur, Irmi Jasser-Hager and the Durrel Wildlife Conservation Trust I hope to get a better overview from this species in captivity. B] To try as quickly as possible to ask to the Advisory Committee Genetics for advice, before this is possible I need a better overview of the status of Terrapene coahuila in captive. C] To sort out how many blood lines there are in the captive population of Terrapene coahuila in Europe.

10] PUBLICATIONS

Baur, M. and I. Jasser-Hager. 2006. Notes on captive husbandry and breeding of the Coahuila box turtle, Terrapene coahuila (Schmidt & Owens,1944) considering behaviour in and data from the natural habitat. Pp. 268-291 In H.Artner, B. Farkas and V.Loerh (eds), Turtles. Proceedings: International Turtle & Symposium Vienna 2002. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main. Germany.618pp. Baur,M and I. Jasser-Hager.2006. The Mexican aquatic box turtle, Terrapene coahuila Schmidt & Owens, 1944. Husbandry and breeding to the F2 generation, Radiata 15(4):40- 49 Behler, J.l. 1971. Coahuila box turtle Terrapene coahuila . Anim. Kingdom 74:33. Brown,W.S. 1971. Morphometrics of Terrapene coahuila (Chelonia,), with comments on its evolutionary status.Southwest, Nat. 16:171-184 Brown,W.S. 1974, Ecology of the aQuatic box turtle, Terrapene coahuila (Chelonia,Emydidae) in northern Mexico. Bull. Florida St. Mus., Biol. Sci. 19:1-67 Cerda, A and D. Waugh. 1992. Status and management of the Mexican box terrapin Terrapene coahuila at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. Dodd C.K. North American Box turtles a Natural History Dodo, J. Jersey Wildl. Preserv. Trust 28:126-142 Iverson, JB. 1982a. Terrapene coahuila Schmidt and Owens. Coahuila box turtle. Cat.Amer. Amphib. Rept. 288.1-288.2. Milstead WW, Twinkle D.W. Terrapene of Western Mexico

Murphy. J.B and L.a. Mitchell. 1984. Breeding the aquatic box turtle Terrapene coahuila at the Dallas Zoo. Int Zoo Yrbk. 23:135-137 Tonge S. Breeding the aquatic box turtle Terrapene coahuila at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. Williams K.L. captive boxturtles, Terrapene coahuila USA O.J. Williams K.L. Hap p. A Comparison of the density of Terrapene coahuila an Terrapene carolina Ohio 1964

11] LOCATIONS TERRAPENE COAHUILA OUTSIDE THE STUDBOOK

Because the studbook only started in the summer of 2007, there are Terrapene coahuila outside the studbook. I would like to ask the studbook members, if they know someone keeping Terrapene coahuila , to tell this person about the studbook and ask them to contact me. Only by working together can we make the studbook successful and keep the captive population Terrapene coahuila healthy.

Hans Meijer [email protected] www.studbooks.org www.schildpadden.net