-

198 CONSERVATION

. -�.�

as an alternative to oak forest harvest Another option is to promotethe conservation of thelast forest remnants through ACl!VEOO. M. 2006.Anfibiosyreptiles de Guatemala:Una brevesintesis theformal participation of theseproperties communal with� con bibliografia. In B. B. Cano (ed.), Biodiversidad deGuatemala in the Guatemalan systemof protected areas. This strategy Vol L. pp- 487-524. UniveIsidad delValle de Guatemala. would require a strong political effort by the leaders of the Guatemala. communitiesthat own the land. For thesepolitical leaders to --, L D. WILSON,B. E. CAN<>,AND C. VAsQUEZ-A.!.MAzAN.2010. Diversity and of the Guatemalan herpetofauna. In L. promote these conservation actions will require the imple­ D. Wilson. J. H. Townsend,J. and D. Johnson (eds.), Conservation mentation of an effective and sustained programthe fur con­ of Mesoamerican Amphibians and ., pp. 4007-434. Eagle servation of the last cloud forest remnants in northwestern Mountain Publishing. Eagle Mountain, Utah. Sierra de los Cuchumatanes. AluANo-SANcm:z.. D.,AHD L MEi.ENDEz. 2009. Arborealalliga tor IizaIdsof tbe genll8Abronia; emeraldsfrom the cloud forestsof Guatemala. IReF Reptiles and Amphibians 16:24-27. Acknowledgments.-We thank two anonymous reviewers for --, ANDM.ToRRES -A.l.w.zAN. 2010. RediscoveryofAbroniacampbelli comments that have improvedthis paper.This work beenhas possi­ (Sauna: Anguidae) from a pine-oak forest in southeastern blethough funding by Zootropic, ZooAtlanta. Zoological Societyfor Guatemala: habitat characterization. natural history, and theConservation of and Populations (ZGAP}. Mohamed Bin conservation status.Herpetol. Rev. 41:290-292. AND new ZayedFund {MBZ},Microsof t Corporation Fund (viaJasonWagner), BRODm, E. D� Ja.. R. F. SAVAGE. 1993. A species of Abronia (Squamata:Anguidae)from a dryoak forestin eastern Guatemala. HumaneSociety International, andInt�tional Cons erva­ HerpetoIDgica49:420-427. tion Foundation. We thank Thomas Schrei furtheamazing photo­ CAMPBELL. J. A .• AND E. D. BllODIE. JR. 1999. A new species of Abronia graphshe has takenof thespecimen reported her e. Specialthanks to (Squamata:Anguidae)from southeastern .highlands of Guatemala. LuisAlvarado. BradLock, and LesterMelendez for theirsupport and Herpetologica 55: 161-174_ I fur providingvaluable suggestionsfor the projectsince itsinception. --, ANDD. R. FlIOST. 1993. Anguid lizards of the Abronia: revisionaryilotes. descriptions of fournew species, a phylogenetic We thank all the local villagers who providedhelp within the area. analysis,and key. BuD. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 216:1-12l. CesarCastafieda helped in theidentlfication ofthe tree speciesin the --.-AND J. R. MENnm.soN ill. 1998. Documenting the amphibians area. If CONAP providedthe legalpermits for conducting this research anifreptilesof Guatemala. Mesoamericana 3:21-23. accordingto perrnitNo. 050/2009. --, M.SAsA, M.ACl!VEOO. AND J. R. MENDELSONill. 1998.Anewspecies of Abronia(Squamata: Anguidae) fromthe highCuchumatanes of Guatemala.Herpetologica 54:221-234. Noteadded In p roof.In May 20 11 another specimen ofAbronia/rosa (SVL 79.62 mm) was found by a local villagernea r the type locality. This individualis probably a female and was captured for the captive breedingprogram at Zootropic.

(2). 198-204. ofAmphibians md Reptiles Prime Time forTurtle Conservation

In the race to extinction among all large groups of weIl­ for amphibians (41%), mammals (25%). bony fishes (15%), known , hold the lead with 47_6% of 320 cur­ and birds (13%}.and is similar only to primates, with 48% rently recognized species identified as "Threatened" Threatened (Hoffmann et al. 2010). Furthermore.if our view with extinction (Turtle Thxonomy Working Group (TIWG] is expandedto include 'modem' turtles and . those e 2010); Hoffmann tal. (2010)calculated levels threat abitdif- speciesthat have occurred in the last400 years. then 50% are . unevaluated ferently, byexcludingdata deficient or species threatened or already extinct (TIWG 2010). This percentage from the calculation; this method yieJ4.s a higher percent of increases to 57% if data deficient and unevaluated species are Threatenedturtles, 54%.This exceeds globalthreat estimates eliminated from the calculation. By anyof these approaches. i I turtles are in dire straits. 1! Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARG) is woIting with turtle and conservation groups to I raiseawareness for turtles by designatingthe year 2011 as the I 'Year ofthe Turtle.' Their hopes are to: 1) communicate the need for conservation,re search and education to the public. nature enthUSiasts. biolOgists, and managers; 2) showcase ongoing work and species concerns; 3) acquire critical new

� R4'I1iI:w 42(2 ),2011 information for selected species; 4) look for opportunitiesto leverage across diverseefforts to enhance effectivenessof ac­ tions; and 5) wOIk to develop new procedures ando p licies that will benefit chelomans. Their website (www.yearofthe­ turtle.org) features monthly newsletters,. calendar pages, partner links, and selected project information. Modeled, in

part. afterthe highly successful 2008 - Year of the Frog that was organized by the Associationof Zoos andAquariums, the 20ll-Year of the Thrtle is a mechanism to network among those doing turtle and tortoise work. and those private citi­ zens, groupsor specialiststhat are interested in theirp light. AlthoughYear of the 'furtleis gainingworldwide m omen­ tum, it has a particular focus on chelonians in North Amer­ ica, where PARC has a growing constituency. Also, among world nations, the United States is a turtle and tortoise bio­ diversity hotspot. There is heightened concern to preserve theunique natural heritageof turtlesin this geographic area. Currently;57 ofthe 320 (18%) speciesof turtlesknown world­ wide occurin the United States, with Mexico being the sec­ ond-mostturtle-rich nation,having 46 species (TIWG2010). Furthermore, these two North American nations rank high­ est in turtlespecies diversity ifthe counts excludesea turtles, with USA having 51species (81 species and ) and Mexicohaving 40 species (58 speciesand subspecieS) (TIWG 2010). Twelve species of freshwater turtles and tortoises oc­

cur in Canada. Retaining the North American turtle natural . heritageis a specific conservation concern. Here, we offer a primer on the status of world turtles. with some specific in­ s fonnation. and conervation and research. recommendations forthe NorthAmeric an fauna.

TURTLE STATUSAND THREATS The conservation status ofworld turtles and tortoises is currently under reassessment. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (lUCN) Red Ust is theofficial list of the conservation status of turtlesand tort oises. An update to the list will be released this year, 2011, with scores of new species evaluations to be added. The current RedList, ver­ sion 2010.4. includes 207 species (Table 1). Draft Red Ust designations for re-evaluated and newly evaluated turtles were released in December 2010, showing a raise in spe­ cies in Threatenedcategories, from 129 to 152 (shaded rows, Table 1). The Convention on Trade in'Endangered Species (CITES) species lists address international trade guidance. Intemationallaw is enforced by countries that are party to this treaty; nearly all countries are signatories. CITES clas­ sifies species into three Appendices that are grades of J?ro­ -tection. These Appendices are due for revision in 2012, and draft revisions to turtle and tortoise listings are being made now. Currently. there are 21 speciesfreshwater of turtles and tortoises, as well as all sea turtles, on Appendix L the most endangered group. CITES prohibits international trade for these species, except when the purpose of import/export is not commercial (e.g., scientific research). There are 23 spe- FIG. 3. BogTurtJe( mlthlellbergii). cies, seven genera, and one.family (tortoises: Testudinidae)

H� koicw42(2). 2011 � � "" - - .... '" -� ---

200 CONSERVATION

on Appendix II, the list that identifies species that may be­ River drainage in Mississippi and the newly described Pearl come threatenedunless trade is closelycontrolled. There are River Map Turtle ( pearlensis) is confined to the 18 species and one genus (Graptemys) on Appendix III, the Pearl River drainage only in Mississippi and bordering Loui­ listthat identifies species of concernby a Party(country) that siana. Becauseeach of these species is only foundin riverine . alreadyregulates trade in the species and needs cooperation habitat thet otal amount of areao ccupiedis necessarilyquite of other countriesto preventuns ustainable exploitation. Per­ small. Scientists are currently preparing a new.Red list as­ mits or certificatesare neededfor international t rade of these sessment of these species and it is likelythat many of them species. One USAspecies is on Appendixill . will be foundto be vulnerableor endangered. NorthAmerican turtle conservation concerns canbe fur­ Twoof three species of US tortoises, the GopherTor toise theras sessed by theirnational status ranks. In theUSA, 9 of 57 ( polyphemus) and the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus I (l6%) freshwater turtle and tortoise species are listed under agassizii), are threatened by the enonnous expansion of ur­ the Endangered Species Act (ESA,Table 2). In Canada, 6 of 12 banizationwithin their ranges. In , the primary home ' I specieshave conservationstatus by the Committee on Status of the Gopher Tortoise, development has been displacing of EndangeredWIldlife in Canada (COSEWlC,Table 3). These tortoises at an alanning rate as that state has had one of lists do notoverlap. It should be noted thatthe COSEWIC spe­ the highest human population growth rates in the country. cies appearon species of concern listsfor certain States. US Similarly, much of thewestern portion of the Mojave Desert The two top threats to turtles worldwide and in the US in California hasseen most of the available land put to hu­ and Canada are habitat loss and fragmentation, and overex­ man use in the lasttwo decades. For example, in Victorville, ploitation for food, traditional medicines, and pets. Exacer­ California, the human population grew from 64,000 in 2000 bating these threats isthe basic life history of most turtles to approximately 112,000 in 2010. Unfortunately, Desert Thr­ and the smalltotal ranges of manyspecies. Their low fecun­ tOises;have also been severely affected bydisease outbreaks dityand the severa! years it takes foryoung turtles to achieve even in relativelyr emote areas (USFWS 2006). maturity inresult populations thatare not resilientto sudden Other turtles that havein thep ast been bothw idespread losses {Congdon et aI. 1993}. Small ranges mean that there and common are now suffering from habitat fragmenta­ are fewer total individuals and that there are fewer options tion and the effects of roads. This creates a pattern of many for conservationaction. Canadian All turtles areat thenorth­ small. populations that cannot interact with each other. As ern extentof their range, attnbutingto concern statusfor half road densityincreases, manyscientists believe that a tipping of them. point will be reached where many of the small populations Some examples of US turtles in peril and the reasons for will go extinct.The concern has been raisedfor the C ommon i concern are given belOw..Many more could be given. Each BoiThrtle (Terrapene carolna), a mostly terrestrial species case is an example of the general issues, but the details are (Dodd and Franz 1993). So, even species that were Connerly always different and they do matter. regarded as common may be prone to widespread decline. The Plymouth Red-bellied Turtle (once recognized as Exploitation of turtles for Asian commercial markets has the subspecies rubriventris bangsi and now un­ skyrocketed andis now a major conservation concernworld­ derstood as a highly isolated population) is confinedto ap� wide, including in North America (Turtle Conservation Co­ proximately 17 ponds entirely within Plymouth County, alition 2011). Thrtles have played an important role in Chi­ Massachusetts, more than 400 kin from the mid-Atlantic nese civilization at least sincethe Bronze-Age ShangDynasty populationsof the samespecies. Similarly,the AlabamaRed­ over 3,000 years ago. At that time, hundreds of thousands of bellied Turtle (Pseutiemys alabamensis) occurs onlyin parts turtles were used. in divinationrituals in which tortoise and of Mobile Bay drainage in Baldwin and Mobile counties in turtle shells were heated and the cracks obtained were in­ Alabama, and Harrison and Jackson counties in Mississippi. terpreted for guidance. These oracle bones fill archaeologi­ Other species have specifichabitat requirements so that the calsites. Thrtlesalso have always been recognized for their total amount of real estate available to them is small. The longevityand the Chinesehave sought to acquire thatvirtue threatened Bog ThrtIe (Glyptemys muhlenbergil) requires from them. Thday, turtles are consumed in China for long very specific, nearlypristine, bogs to thrive so that although life and for traditional medicine. The problem, known as it ranges fromupstate New York to Georgia, there is too little theAsian ThrtIe Crisis (van Dijt et al. 2000), arises from the habitat left. The Flattened Musk:Turtle (Stemotherus depres­ combination of this long traditionwith a population of over sus) occurs only withinthe BlackWarri or Riversystem of Ala­ 1 billion people who are becoming wealthier. The demand bama, but cannot now live in much of that river because of forturtles in Chinais now almost impossibleto overestimate. waterpollution and increasedhuman activities. Butthe resultis clear: turtles arebeingsent from all over the A group of special interest is the map turtles of the Gulf worldto China for consumptionat a scaleunimaginable only South. Here, eight species are restricted to one or a small a few years ago (Compton2000; Chen et al2009). Southeast number of associated drainages in the southern USA that Asian countries such as Vietnam now have theirendre turtle lead to the Gulf of Mexico. For example, thePascagoula Map fauna (over 30 species) criticallyendangere d dueto thistrade Turtle (Graptemys gibbonsJ) is restricted to the Pascagoula (Hendrie 2000).The economic incentives forlocal peoples to

�RtWw42(2},2011 CONSERVATION 201

in this global trade are TABLE 1. International Unionfor theConservation of Nature (lUeN) Red Ust current participate stagg�r­ to turtle designations (version2010.4), re-evaluationsto updatethe curre nt list (updated ing. Any turtle is worth serious money but numbers), provisional designations of previously unevaluated species, and sum of a Vietnamese peasant, some species, these tocolumns represent draft new list (TTWG 2010). Shadedrows are considered such as theTh ree-stripedBox Turtle (Cuora "Threatened"categories. * Indicatesa categoryphased being out. � Indicatesnumber trifasciara), sell for several thousanddollars not available or not relevant. apiece (Blancket aI. 2006). Theyare literally worth theirweight in gold. Species No. Commercial markets for turtles include the pet trade.Around the world people keep IUeN RedList Categ ry List Provisional List o Current Re-evaluations pet turtles and tortoises. In the !ast few de­ cades they have become mw:;hmore popu­ Extinct + 1 6 1 (7) lar and, most importantly, the number of ExtinctWIld inthe -1 1 (0) species found in the pet tradehas increased dramatically (Shepherd and Nijman 2007; Shepherdand Nijman2OOS). While mostpet owners have relativelycommon species and LowerRisk do not pose a major conservation threat, I ConservationDependent* -1 (0) some collectors become fanatic about get­ 18 +3 (21) 63 LeastConcern ting rare or unusual species. Today, almost Data Deficient 11 +2 (13) 16 I everyspecies of turtle can be foundfor sale, 8 Not Evaluated legally or not, on the internet. Fanatic col­ Total No. Species 207 121 ! l======.=====1 lectors can buy the world's rarest turtles if they have enough money; and many do. Prices for adult Ploughshare Tortoises (As­ trochelys yniplrora) from Madagascar can I TABLE 2. United States EndangeredSpecies Act (ESA,) turtle. listings. Available at: www. range to well over US $10,000 (Smith 2OIl). fws.gov/ndangeredlspecis/us-species.html. I e e This market has driven many species to near extinction (Turtle Conservation Coali­ Common Name ScientificName Status tion 2011). Especially frustrating to turtle

. biologists is that when a new, rare species FlattenedMuskTurtle Stemomerusdep mssus Tb.reateoed is de8CfiDed in the scientific literature, this SonoytaMud Thrtle Kinostemonsonorlense Iongifenwra1e Candidate pUblication immediately creates a market . DesertTortoiSe Gopherusagassizi i Threatened forthe new turtle (Stuartet al.2006). For ex­ GopherTo.rtoise Gopheruspolyphemus Threatened ample, the Koti Island Snake-neclcedTurtle Plymouth Red-belliedTurtle Pseudemysrubriilentris bangsi Endangered ( mccordl) was described from a Alahama Red-belliedTurtle Pseudemys alabamensis Endangered single small island in Indonesia and within BogTurtle Glyptemysmuh18nbe rgii Threatened a very fewyears mostof thepopulation had Ringed ThrtIeMap GraptI!InYSoculifem Threatened disappearedinto theinternational trade. Yellow-blotchedMap 'l\tttle GraptemysflavimacuUl ta Threatened Several US states have tightened their regulations over the commercial exploi­ tation of any turtle species (P. Nanjappa, pers. comm.), in part because of increased TAI!LE 3. Committee on Status ofEndangeredWIldlife in Canada {COSEWIC) turtle demand for listing. Availableat www.cosewic.gc.cafeng/sctlfsearchf'o rm....e.cfm evidence for the growing tur­ tles in Asia and worldwide. Thrtles are still for Common Name Scientific Name Status captured the pet trade but it is hard to know how much ofa conservation concern

Eastem MuslcTurtle odoratus Threatened thisharvest is. Formerly, bothCommon Box Blanding'sTurtle Emydoidea blandingii Endangered Turtles (TerrapenecaroUna) and Ornate Box were (NovaScotia population) Turtles (Terrapene omat)a sent to Eu­ rope in large. unsustainable numbers. But Spotted1\ntIe Clemmysguttata Endangered WoodTurtle Glyptemysinsculpto. Threatened this tradehas beenmuch reduced' afterthe was SpinySoft- shell Apalonespinifem Threatened genus put on CITESAppendix II. The Western Painted nutle Chrysemys picta hellii Endangered individualsta te lawsgoverning collectionof are (Pacific Coastpopula tion) turtlesin general a patchwork withmost states allowing cpllection for personal use

H�RefJiew42(2).2011 and others not. State herpetofaunal regulations have b een the effective use of anyone conservation tool does not pre­ compiled recentlyto aid in managementof these animals (f! dude theuse of another tool. Sometimes there are conflicts Nanjappa, unpubL data). Unfortunately, much of the trade between strategies, such as when tradereguiations are writ­ in rare species is illegal and therefore very hard to track, fu"1d ten so tightly that they exclude (often unintentionally) the few states have the capacityto establish effective monitoring development of assurance colonies that may be needed for programs. some species. It is important to global turtle conserJation Anem ergLllg threat for turtles is hybridizationand genetic that these conflicts be minimized. swamping.A major discoveryin thB biologyof turtlesbecame We can divide the strategies into 3 basic approacnes: apparent recently when it was determined that almost any l} rare species management; 2} keepL'lg common species species of Did World freshwaterturtle (FamilyGeoemydidae) common; and 3} crisis management. Furthermore, we have could hybridize: with any other species even if theywere in learned milch aboutthe ttu:eais to turtles and how to com-' different genera. More startling is that these hybrido ffspring bat them. These lessons result in additional key gui.delines

are fertiIe and capable of reproduction. Turtlefarms in China for both conservation and research directions; the COIT;....'TIon have now produced turtles descended from three different thread among these guidelines is the need for monitoring genera betv'{een their parents and grandparents CT. Blanck, both to understand the status of species and to determine pers. comm.}. These tu..'11es are like orchids - endless new if conservation actions are working. The follov.ing are 7 con­ varieties can be produced. Hybrids have no legal protection servation action examples from North &'nerica, combining underinternation al lawso a hybrid of twoof therarest turtles these basic approaches andguidelines. in the worldis legal anyw·here.These hybridturtles show that Manage rare species.-Rare species management is the habitat alteration that permits species that do not normally traditional focus of conservation. The primm,,! tool is, of

enCOlliYJ.ter each other to mix could caues a distinctive form course, native habitat protection and preservation. In the to be lost t.lrrough genetic swamping. Similarly. althoughthis best of circumstances thismay be all that is needed. In other . has not happenedyet as far as we are aware, releasing hybrid cases L'1ehabitat may have to be restored and repopulated turtles could cause the toss of native species. This threat is byanimals raised elsewhe:e, qften in captivity. Conservation new and thereis no other groupof animalsthat faces a sirnie efforts for the (Glyptemys muhlenbergil1 have in­ 1ar problem. We reallyhave no idea how da.."1gerolis it could volved protecting good habitat, restoring degraded habitat, be. In the US, tIle chief concern is the introduction of the and releasing captive-bredanimals that have been raised to a Red-eared Slider CTrachemys scripta eiegans) into habitats size to offerthem a better chance of survival {"headstamng"}. of its dose relatives, such as theBig Bend Slider ( Taken together these efforts have resulted iL real success in gaigeae) wl>..ich occurs in h'le Rio Grande drainage of strengtheningthis species' hold on su..'>'iva!. To aid commu­ and New Mexico. This hybridizationhas thepotential to "ripe nication among headsta.rting efforts, for which mal·and-er­ out the Big Bend Slideras a distinct species (T. J. Papenfuss, ror management is common, PARC is compiling projects for pers. comm,). all herpetofauna tWVlj·v"'.parcplace.org). Long-term monitor­ ing of populations is a critical element in themanagement of CALL TO ACTION: CONSERVATIONAl\1[i both rare and common species. RESEARCH RECOM,\1ENDATIONS Manage common species.-More conservationists are fo­ Hoffmann-et aL (2010) demoll$trated that conseIYation CUSL.'lg efforts on managing common species to keep them actionsc an improvespedes status.We havethe opportunity common. There are three reasons for this approach. The to changethe fate of turtles around theworld by takingsteps first is that, as the case of the Passenger Pigeon {Ectopistes

implementing conservation actions, and doing so quickly.. migratorius) reminds us, being common, even abundant, is

Let us use the Year of the Turtle as our Call to Action - we no guaFclltee that a species" vill nevergo extinct. Second, we Cfu').o w rk together to benefit turtles worldwide. ThePartners now realize that it is much less expensive to save a spedes page at the Year of the Turtle website (ww'fi.yearofilieturtie. willie it is common ratherthan to wait for it to become rare org) lists some organizations that workon turtleand tortoise before acting. Thesooner action is taken, the greater theop­ conservation, and many more groups and individuals are tionsavailable are, and when there are more options, one can workingto benefit theseanimals. Join one or start a ne'«one. be more effective. Third, if no one pays attention to a spe­ A source to learn more about t.�e challenges and opportuni­ cies because it is common, problems and declines may go ties is Craig Stanford's TheLast Tortoise (Stanford 2010). The unnoticedbec�use of a faultyassumption. The Common Box most enda.."1gered speciesare reviewed by the TurtleConser­ Turtle (Terrapenecarolina) is gene:rallyperceived to live up to vationCoalition (2011). its name. But manyturtle researchers have emphasized that An importantlesson that has emerged fromconsideration being complacent about this species is a serious mistake. of the difficulties of turtle conservation is that all possible One of the most important aspects of managing common conservationtools mllst be considered and that each species species is addressing mortality and population fragmenta­ and country have t..'leir O'WIl opportunities and challenges. tion caused by roads. Fencing roads has proved user.ll for This lesson leads to an overall ecumenicalapproach inwhich the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizil] and may work for

Herpetdcgica!42(2 Review j, 2()11 other species. Road patrols during local turtle. Such groups, fa nnaland infonnal, existfor some "' CMalaclemys terrapin; nesting season are a labor intensive, species. Even h'l 1952, ArchieCarr could ",mte of the Plym­ but mainly successfulmetho d forreducing road mortalityfor outh Red-bellied Tur tle population that "If it were not for thatsp ecies. Thesearch for creative soiutionsto thisproblem the interest shown by local inhabitants of Plymouth County continues. in the conservation of this interesting population of turtles Manags crises.-Emlironmental crises can affect turdes. it would soon be 'Aiped out." The turtle conservation com­ The Gulfoil spillof2010 imperiled sea turtles andth ose spe­ munity needs to facilitate the creation of such groups. For cies became icons of the disaster. In fact,the Diamondback example, this community could help folks livil1g near some Te rrapin (Malaclemys terrapin} was perhaps even more at of li'le Gulf South Graptemysto developa sense of pride fu"lrl risk. There are three subspecies of terrapin liv1..'1.g only in the appreciationfor theirnei ghborhood endemics. estuaries along theGulf of Mexico andtheir narrow ribbon of Im plement range- wide papulation, habitat, and risk habitat 1Nas. &ffected by oil washing on shore. Although only analysesfor widespread species.-GAP .A..nalysis is a conser­ some populations \"v'ere affected, terrapin biologists orga­ vation evaluation process where the ranges and populations nized and were prepru-ed to move at'1imals out of harm's way of species are overlaid on protected areas such as National if that became necessary. For sea turtles, over 25,000 eggs Parksto determLtleho w weH protected they are over theiren­ were moved during the Gulfoil spill, and thispro ve d to be an tire range. Por example, we need a range-wide GAP analysis effective conservation measure (Pittman2(10). of the Common (Tm-mpene ca rolina} to estimate Almostuniq ue to turtles is the crisis management prob­ how many populations are currently protected and an as­ lem presented hy large-scale confiscations of illegalanimals: sessment of the real riskthat this species faces. Data fromall Sometimesthese confiscations can include thousands of tur­ states and Canada wouldbe needed for this type of synthe­ tles of over a dozen species. Emergency pf ograms by turtle sis. The PAR C-initiated USA Turtle Mapping Project (i'llVIM. conservationists andveterinarians have been set up to sort, yearoftheturtle.org) is a necessarypreamble forsuch a large­ treat and relocate these animals that are often in verj poor scale species assessment. health. Additionally, a meta-population analysis forwidespr ead Regulate co mTr.ercial turtle haroest.-A recent compila­ spedes is needed to look for 'tIpping points: Many species tion of herpetofaunal regulations forUS states (P.Nanjappa, of terrestrial turtles and tortoises live in populations that pers. carom.)shows thatlittle capacity currentlyexists forco­ are more or less loosely connected by individuals who move ordination or monitoring of harvests of wildor captiveher­ between thelocal populations. Tills patternis called a meta­ petofaulial species. There is great variation among state fish population, and understandinghow meta-populationswork, and wikilife . agencies with some having generally prohibited and how they canfail, is an important aspectof theconserva­ ali commercial exp loitation of wildturtles and others offer­ tionof these species. Cm:mectivityfo cal ar€'"dS could he iden­ ing fewer restrictions. In 2009 and 2010, representatives of tified in such an a..'1alysis. As increasing roadtraffic prevents many of the US state fish andwildlife agenCies met to begin any movement from one population to another, isolated to address regulatoryissues and needs. Th is processwill con­ populations may have a greater chance of going extinct.We tinue in 201 1. Sea turtlesbe nefitfrom federal regulation and must determine at whatpoint fragmentation of a meta-pop­ funding. due to their rarity and iIlternational migrawrj na­ ulation causes a species to go extinct, and where the critical ture; similarfe deral protections are afforded to tortoises, and connection points exist Many researchers believe there is a couIdbe considered for freshwaterturtles. The US Pish and tip pingpoint as meta-populationsbecome increasinglyiso­ Wildlife Service is actively engaged in these turtle issues as lated where theycan fall and go extinct. We must determine well, and is a key player,with state fishand ,,,Hallie agencies, howand whenthis may be tme of turtles, and geographically in the revision of CITESAppendices. Realistically; we may not where the importantareas areto maintain connectivity. be able to prevent or ask for bans on all harvest. However, we Develop meth.ods to assess and ensure highgenetic diver­ can encourage and support closely-monitored and well-reg­ sity for grea te r evolutionary potential to respond to global ulatedharvest; with such measures, some colTh.'1lercial turtle cnange. -Genetic diversity is the basisof evu lutio nary adap­ ha.'"Vestcould be acceptable, tationto ch&'lgingen',ironments. Many turtle emircm.ments Turtle fanning operations have not been closely moni­ are predicted to shift under climate change scenarios. The tored or studied. In particular, how much do fa."1!lS rely on details of these changes as they apply to particular species native vlild turtles for brood stock? In addition to under­ are generallyunlmown. With this uncertaintyabout environ­ standing 'take' in wild populations, a greater understanding mental change, it becomes important to ensure that tuT tie of the contribution of US turtlefarms to US and wo rldcom­ andtortoise populati ons are genetically diverse so that they mercial markets is needed. This need is growing as produc­ canrespond to whateverchange does actually occur.This is a tion grows. strategy of hedging one's bets on the future. Increased efforts Createan.d institutionalize local interestgroups fo r locai­ are warranted to evaluate turtle genetic diversity and the iz.ed species.-Highly localized species need highly localized trade-off between how we ll-adapted taTtles are versus how support groups;that is, groupsof peoplet.. 'lat championtheir resilient turtles are to changes based on their genetics (i.e., their "adaptedness" versus their "adaptability"). This knowl­ HENDRlI!, D. B. 2000. Status and conservation of tortoises and freshwater turtles inVietuam. In P. VanP. Dijk,B. L. Stuart, andA. edge is especially imp ortant for reintroduction programs G. J. Rhodin (eds.),Asian Turtle Trade: Proceedingsof a Workshop where animals may be rearedin captivity and then released on Conservation andTrade of FreshwaterTurtles and To rtoisesin " mtothe wild. Asia, pp. 63-73. Chelonian Res. Monogr. 2. Chelonian Research , Foundation, Lunenburg, Massachusetts. CONCLUSION HOFFMANN, M. lITAL. 2010. The impactof conservation on thestatus of theworld's . Science 330:1503-1509. Our turtle heritage is diminishing at a rate outpacingthat PrrrMAN, C. 2010. Moving eggs away from Gulf oil spill of other main groups. The 20ll-Ye ar of the Thrtle provingto be a success.St. Pet erburgTImes.October 9, 2010. www. partnership and campaign is an opportunityto raise aware­ tampabay.com/news/environrnent/wildlife/moving-sea-turtle. ness fo r tuIt1es,celebrate our turtle heritage. herald conser­ eggs-away-from-guif-oil-spiD-proving-to-be-a-success/ ll26907 vation arid research successes, and identifygaps in our un­ SHIlPHERD, C. R., ANDv: NI.JMAN. 2007. An overview of theregulationof the turtle and tortoise pet trade in Jakarta, Indonesia. derstanding thatcan be the focus of futurework. We outline freshwater TRAFFICSoutheast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. seven conservation and research implications of the current --, AND --. 2008. Pet freshwater turtle and tortoise trade in turtle crisis, and associated conservation opportunities and Chatuchak Market. Bangkok, Thailand. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, actions. If we, the turtle conservation community can ac­ Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. iv+16: complish efforts in these selected areas, we can greatly help SNrm,J. E. 2011. Stolen Wo rld. CrownPublishers. New York. ix+ 322 to sustainspecies and bolster therec over y of declining turtle pp. . STANFORD. C. B. 2010. The Last To rtoise. Harvard University Press, species. Cambridge, Massachusetts. viii+ 210 pp. STUAKJ:B. L., A. G. J. RIiODlN,1. 1.GRISMER, AND T. HANSI!L.2006. Scientific Acbwwledgments.-We thank Peter Paul van Dijk for help description can imperilspecies. Science 312:1 137-1 137. with the IUCN listings,a nd K. Ronnenberg for editorial assistance. TUR'.fLE CONSEllVATlON Co.\UllON [RHODIN, A. G. J., A. D. W.ALDE, B. D. HORNE, P. P. VAN Dmc. T. BLANCK, T., AND R. HUDSON (EDS.»). 2011. Supportwas provided bythe USDA ForestService, Pacific Northwest Turtl es in Trouble: TheWorld's 25+ Most Endan gered TOrtoises " Research Station andthe Turtle Conservancy. andPreshwater rurtles-20 11.Lunenburg, Massadlusetts.IUCNI SSC , To rtoise " and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Turtle ConseiVatio..AFund, Thrtle Survival Alliance, Thrtle Conservancy, Chelonian" Research Foundation, Conservation International, WIldlife Conse�tion Society; andSan Diego Zoo Global. 54pp. AND 2006. BI.J\NCK,T., W. P. McCoRD, M. LE. Onthe variability of Cuora TtnrrUl WoRXING GROUP (RHODIN, A. G .J., P. P. VAN Dmc, J. B. (Bell, 1825). Edition Chimair, Frankfurt am trifascia ta a Main. 153 lVElISON , AND H. B. SifAFFE:l1. 2010. Thrtles of the World, 2010 Update: pp. Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and United States, c.wt,A. E 1952.Hand book of'I\Irtles;The. Tunles oftbe Conservation Status. In A. G. J. Rhodin, P. C. H. Prltchani, P. P. Canada, and Baja California. Comstock Publishing Associates, van Dijk, R. A. Saumure, K. A. Buhlmann. J. B. Iverson, and R..A. CornellUniversity Press, Ithaca, New-York.542 pp. Mittermeier (eds.), Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles I .• AND 2009. Unr ed turtle shells CHBN, T H. CHANG, 1(. LIre. egulat for andT ortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCNfSSC Tortoise ! Chinese traditionalmedicine inEast and SoutheastAsia: The case and FreshwaterTurtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Res. Monogr. I of'Ihlwan.Chelonian Conserv. Bioi. 8:11-l8. No. 5, pp. 000.85-000.164-, doi:lO.3854/crm.5.000.checkiist. 2000. CoMl'roN,J. An overviewof Asian turtle trade. InP.P.V anDiiX, B. v3.20l0, http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/cbftt/. 1.Stuart, and A.G. J. Rhodin(eds.), Asian Thrtle Trad e: Proceedings U.S. FISH ANDWiLnLlFl! SERvICE (USFWS).2006. Range-wide moni toring a of Workshop on Conservation and1i'ade of Freshwater Thrtles of the Mojave population of the desert tortoise: 2001-2005. r and Tortoises in Asia, pp. 24-29 . Chelonian Res. Monogr. 2. Summaryreport. DesertTo rtoise Recovery Office, U.S. Fish and . ChelonianResearch Fo undation, Lunenburg,Massachus etts. Wildlife Stirvice, Reno , Nevada. 85 pp. A. AND VAN CONGDON, J. D., E. DUNHAM, R. C. LoREN SBLS. 1993. VAN DnJ:, P. P., B. 1. SroAlIT, AND A. G. J. RHoolN. 2000. Asian Thrtle Delayed sexualmaturity anddemographic s of Blanding's turtles Trade:" Proceedings of a Workshop on Conservation and Trade of (Emydoidea biandingii): Implications for conservation and FreshwaterTurtIes TOrtoises and in Asia. ChelonianRes. Monogr. BIoL 7:826-833. management of long-livedorganisms. Conserv. 2. ChelonianResearch Foundation, Lunen burg,M assachusetts. 0000, C. .K.,hi. AND R. F1IANz. 1993.The need for statusinforma tion on common herpetofaunal species.HerpetoL � 24:47�.

Herpetological� 42(2 ), 2011