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Prime Time for Turtle Conservation This File Was Created by Scanning - 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 conservation status 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 Reptiles., 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 Species 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 Reptile 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 genus 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 animals, turtles hold the lead with 47_6% of 320 cur­ and birds (13%}.and is similar only to primates, with 48% rently recognized turtle 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 tortoises. 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 tortoise 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. after the 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 subspecies) 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(Glyptemys 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 (Graptemys 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 (Gopherus 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 Florida, the primary home ' I specieshave conservationstatus
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