I Two Turtles from Western Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Volume 2, Number 4 - I 1: I - ,', KI=-lFj l&l-l w - I,.: . -. ,,,I I . !I ,:: . I Two turtles from Western Democratic r/. I :, I ,. Republic of the Congo: ' > , , I . ./I /I 8 ($8 I:,( : . >>:1.1 .',, ,,I, Itt, Pe/usios cchapiand K/h/xys erosa Bruce G. Marcot, Ph.D. Research Wildlife Ecologist USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station 620 SW Main St., Suite 400 Portland OR 97205 USA bmarcot @ fs.fed.us 20 October 2004 . " .To>--... .+ . -> - , During August-September 2004 I engaged in an expedition to . a , -. *. ,D.-.q+ -. western Democratic Republic of I' - I I bh o the Congo (DR Congo). During . I .:~d',. this trip, I encountered two turtle - f: -* -4, '---? i; species in villages along a remote : b, :t ::. t section of the Ubange River approximately 5-50 krn north of 4 the confluence with the Congo .', . .. =,I * A. River. - - - 1 -1'? *w:*m- 2. LL- R/par/;3ngrass and forest habiats dong the Ubangi River /hBobangi Wage. Pelusios chapini personal communication). : On 8 September 2004, in Photos I took may be one .. - -Ma-, .-.. ' Bobangi village (0" 6.67' S of the first taken of P. '.a ' latitude, 17 " 43.26 E longitude, chipini, at least in its native 'I I established by GPS), I encoun- ' 5-1- environment. tered a specimen of Pelusios I chapini or Central African Mud This specimen was a male, Turtle. Bobangi is situated along evidenced by the obviously . the banks of the Ubange River in concave plastron, and seasonally flooded riparian measured 27 cm carapace .*,.cm, . gallery forests with floodplain length (curved measure) grasses and shrubs. and 2 1 cm plastron length . (straight-line measure). i,;?r,3;?,?r~ O/I~+ILI~IO~C~LIFII-I Apparently, many specimens of Pelusios housed in zoos and I encountered this specimen in a most i '0 me as a gift, with a live collections in the U.S. are mis- interesting manner. It was presented duck and bunches of plantains, identified to species (D. Senneke, continued on page 2 1 hosts to release it back into the wild further downriver. Kinixys erosa On 9 September 2004, in a river- side market in Mobenzino village (0" 22.80' Carapace ofPelusios chapini Head of Pelusios chapini fuckedsideways ~hfoshe// S latitude, 17 " - -. - 45.16 E longi- Ci, tude) along the banks of the 1 Oubange River, I encountered five specimens of Kinixys erosa or Forest Hingeback (also called Eroded Hingeback, Serrated Hinge- P/astron ofpelusios chapini I Pelusios chapini back, Rosy Pelusios chapini andKinixys erosa, alive and well (no signs of Hingeback, and Schweigger continued from page I ecoparasites or disease). We kept Hingeback) being sold for food by the chief of Bobangi and his it alive and I urged our expedition (bushmeat). continued on page 8 council. Along with colleagues from USDA Forest Service and the non- government organization Innovative Resources Management, I had spent several days in Bobangi as part of our work with local villagers to help them establish sustainable forest resource management at the com- munity level. The chief knew of my interest and expertise in wildlife Your World Chelonian Trust Board of Trustees ecology, and presented me with this specimen as a token of appreciation. Darrell Senneke, Director Glen Jacobsen, Treasurer and Trustee Apparently, it had been captured in Paula Morris, Trustee & Newsletter Editor Lisa Weiss, Trustee the local riparian forest and was I I Ken Carlsen, Trustee Chris Hobson, Trustee Sharon Chancellor, Trustee Chris Tabaka, Veterinary Advisor Mike Pingleton, Trustee Chuck Slzaeffer, Trustee Need to contact us by land mail? World Chelonian Trust's Mailing Address is mrll Irfm PI. It 8 Igt8lt WIY World Chelonian Trust to gat last %rawer8to wrrr PMB #292 685 Bridge Street Plaza hrsLardrr ~roattorr. I Owatonna MN 55060 group A Health Crisis started to by Shelly Jones, wind down World Chelonian Trust in the fall, I let her join them. She I guess this story all began at the seemed very 16th Annual Midwest Herpetological in tune to Symposium in Kansas City four the process, years ago. I met a fellow tortoise much to my lover and had some fun talks with delight, her. Even though we lived in differ- letting the ent parts of the country, we kept in sun tell her touch after the show. Later that year it was time she helped me refine an article on to slow refrigerator hibernation that I wrote down. that was to be published in an After a finya, a Russian to/fose, T. horsf ieldii, now recovered from a Me- upcoming World Chelonian Trust proper threatening accumu/ation of UIYC acidgranu/at/bn in her b/adde~ newsletter. Through this venture and autumn our common love of tortoises, we wind-down, I put her into hibernation mouth and was really wheezing. I became good online friends. with the rest of the group and she panicked and called the vet right A few years later, she decided to hibernated without incident. I gave away. I called in sick for the rest of part with her Testudo horsfieldii her a shorter hibernation than the the day and took her in within an hour group because she felt that her rest-only 12 weeks. When she to my local vet. climate did not best suit this particu- awoke, I had the digital camera ready With the aid of the Jimmy Tool, lar species' needs. It was a very hard and took pictures of her just waking the vet opened up her mouth and, with decision for her. Horsfields tortoises up and pictures of her eating the next a flashlight and hemostats, was able to are what I keep and really adore. My day and sent them to my friend. An- get more pieces of lettuce out of the Midwest climate is perfect for them. other successful hibernation. I was back of her throat. He said that she She offered me one of her big fe- relieved. I know my friend was also. did not appear to have RNS and he males. I was so honored that she felt Together, we gave a collective sigh of thought the foam I saw was from that I would provide a good home for relief. During the first week up, excess salivation due to the greens one of her tortoises. The tortoise she Tanya was alert, eating well and stuck in her mouth. Her lungs sent me was the biggest female I had gaining weight. Things were good. sounded fine. He sent me home with ever seen. She was and is beautiful, Exactly one week after she woke Baytril because we had been digging with a very gentle nature. I was from hibernation is when our health in her mouth and he felt it was a good thrilled, to say the least, to add Tanya crisis began. Upon soaking in a tub precaution to get her on antibiotics. to my tort family. of warm water, I noticed that Tanya The cost for this visit was $55.54. I promised this friend that I was making a rasping sound. I took During her course of Baytril, would keep her up to date on her tor- her out of the tub and noticed some Tanya did not improve much. Some toise that came to live with my greens sticking out of her mouth. days she was all foamed up at the group. I kept that promise and sent With my Jimmy Tool, I opened her mouth and sounded like she was many pictures and told many stories mouth and found some lettuce stuck blowing bubbles. She also was about what her tortoise was up to. to the roof of her mouth. I dug out all breathing through her mouth a lot. This bond strengthened our friend- that I could see and thought that Seven days after starting the Baytril, I ship. would solve the problem. I never had looked inside Tanya's mouth again After having this tort for over a a tort get greens stuck to the top of its and found a piece of lettuce stuck at year-and-a-half and her being very mouth; this must have been an odd the front near her nares. I got that out. healthy the whole time, I decided it occurrence, I thought. I put her back The poor girl must have been having a was time to have this tortoise hiber- in her indoor habitat as it was too really hard time breathing. She nate. She had been in captivity for at cold to go outside yet. seemed to clear up. Her open mouth least eight years and had not hiber- The next day, I checked on her breathing ended but I still occasion- nated during that time. I was hoping before I went to work and she ap- ally saw bubbles from her nose. she would be able to sense the peared fine. When I came home for I knew it was time to get back in change in seasons and let nature take lunch she had foam all over her its course. So, as the rest of my continued on page 4 3 A Health Crisis, continued from previous page to eat, she would get really bubbly. suggested that, if this did not do the touch with her vet. Timing is every- I felt so sorry for her. I felt so trick, I should contact Kansas State thing; I found out he'd just left for a sorry for me. Veterinary College which has an week vacation. I had to do some This tortoise had been sick for excellent reputation and is only a few quick research and ended up going to about a month at this point and I had hours away.