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NorEs AND FtEI-o REponrs 413

Acknowledgments.- I thank Cape Nature Conservation ) t'l c k n'l i m'z,;fi ,J:31;:,. 7 3 17 7 for granting a permit (331195) to collect H. s. signatus in the T; liil:l i xl J,i,i,;.i,1iiJ field. Specimens were exported on CITES permit 281195C. Furthermore, I thank Ernst Baard for his inspiration in Diet of Elseya purvisi and Elseya georgesi undertaking project on H. .r. and this signatus in (Testudines: ), general. I am also grateful to Peter C.H. Pritchard, Anders G.J. Rhodin, Bern W. Tryon, and an anonymous reviewer a Sibling Pair of Freshwater for their editorial assistance. from Eastern

Literature Cited MnruEw ArrnNSoNl aNn Anruun GBoRGESI'2

BnRRo, E.H.W. 1994. Cape Tortoises, their identification and care. tApplied Ecologv Researc'h Groult ancl CRC for Fresltvvater Stellenbosch: Cape Nature Conservation, 68 pp. Ecologv, Universin' of Canberre, ACT 2601, Australict B n nzv rc, J. E. I 99 4 . Husbandry and capti ve breedi ng of the panot-beaked IFax: 6l -2-620] 5305; E-mail: georges@ eerg.canberra.edu.aul , Hontoptts areolarus. Chelon. Conserv. Biol. I : 138- l4l. 2 Corre sponclin g Autho r Bnyonr', N. 1995. Observations and morphometric data on the Namaqualand speckled tortoise , Hontopus signatus signatus abundance is determined in part by availability of (Gmelin, 1789), in South Africa. Chelon. Conserv. Biol. l:215-220. access BoNrN, F., DEvAUX, B., RNo DupnE, A. 1996. Toutes les Tortues du potential foods and the ability of the turtles to them. Monde. Lausanne, Switzerland: Delachaux et Niestl6, 254 pp. If resources are limiting and are subsequently reduced through Bovcorr, R.C., AND BouneurN, O. 1988. The South African Tortoise habitat modification, then reproductive output may de- Book. A Guide to South African Tortoises, Terrapins and Turtles. crease, growth rate of juveniles or condition of the adults in Johannesburg: Southern Book Publ., 148 pp. the population may suffer, mortality may rise, and the BnnNcH, W.R. 1988. Field Guide to the Snakes and other of population may decline. Australian rivers, streams, and Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik Publ., pp. 326 wetlands, particularly in southeastern Australia, have been Dnuprsn, L. I 997 .Cape Tortoises: the little guys of turtledom. greatly modified by human activity (WilliaffiS, 1980). Re- Hobbyist (October): 36-43 . moval of macrophytes, increased turbidity and sedimenta- GonsEvtRN, P. 1980. Opmerkingen over biotoop en voortplanting van Hontoltus areolatus. Lacerta 38:107-l I l. tion, salinization, clearing of riparian vegetation, dramati- HnncNEn, G.V. 1990. boulengeri., Karoo padloper, egg cally altered flow regimes, introduction of invasive competi- size. J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr.3l:51. tors such as European carp, and lowered temperatures below KLEMSNs, M.W., AND MoLL, D. I 995 . An assessment of the effects of dams and impoundments can all be expected to alter the commercial exploitation on the , Malacochersus composition and abundance of available turtle foods. Knowl- torniefi, in Tanzania. Chelon. Conserv. Biol. l:197-206. edge of the diet of a species may provide important insights LoEnR, V.J.T. 1997a. Hontoprf,r s. signattts, Namaqualand speckled into the potential consequences of habitat modification and padloper, captive breeding. African Herp News 26 (July):23-24. the causes of population decline. LosuR, V. 1997b. A model for an incubator with electronically regulated with catholic tastes or that are opportunistic in daily temperature cycle. Tortoise Trust Newsletter 1997 (Summer):3-4. LoeHn, V. l99lc. A model for an incubator with electronically their use of available foods are likely to be less vulnerable to regulated daily temperature cycle: evaluation of the first breeding habitat modification than are those with specialrzed dietary results. Tortoise Trust Newsletter 1997 (Summer):5-6. requirements. There is considerable variation in the degree LopHR, V., RNn VnN Drlrc, D. 1996. De Namaqualand gespikkelde of dietary specrahzatron among Australian freshwater turtles. padloper (Homopr,.r .r. signatus), waarnemingen in de natuur en is primarily herbivorous, feeding upon the verzorging in gevangenschap. De Schildpad 22:42-51. fruit and leaves of riparian vegetation, filamentous algae, MoLL, D., Rrun KlEnaENs, M.W. 1996.Ecological characteristics of the and carrion when available (Kennett and Tory, 1996). pancake torloise, Malacochersus tornieri, in Tanzania. Chelon. expansa, C. rugosa, C. longicollis,, Conserv. Biol. 2:26-35 . Pseudemydura umbrina, and Rheodvtes leukops are strict 'MoRGAN, D.R. 1993. Homopus signatus, speckled padloper, 197 reproduction. J. Heqpetol. Assoc. Afr. 42:34. carnivores (Legler, 8: Legler and Cann, 1980; Mullnn, V., AND Scuuror, Vy'. 1995. Landschildkroten. Mtinster: Burbidge, 1981; Georges et al .,1986; Kennett and Tory, Natur und Tier-Verlag, l9l pp. 1996). Within the confines of carnivory, Chelodinu PnrnaEn, M. 1994. The speckled tortoise , Homopus signetLts, in expansa and C. rugosa selectively feed on highly motile captivity. Tortu ga Gazette 30: I -5. prey such as decapod crustaceans? aquatic bugs, and PnrrnnsoN, R. 1991. Snakes and other reptiles of southern Atrica. small fish, although they will take carrion when available Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 128 pp. (Legler, 197 8; Chessman ,, 1983; Kennett and Tory , 1996). SLnveNs, F., AND SrlnvENs, K. 1998. Reptiles and Amphibians in Chelodina longicollis on the other hand, has a diverse Capti v ity - B reedi ng Home Page : http ://www. halcyon.com/slavens/ and opportunistic diet (Chessman, 1984; Georges et al., welcome.html. 1986). Although carnivorous, P. umbrina and R. leukops Received: 15 January 1998 are short-necked species that lack the spe ciahzed morpho- Reviewecl: 7 September 1998 logical adaptations of Chelodina and the other long-necked Revised ancl Accepted: 25 October 1998 chelids necessary for securing fast-moving prey (Pritchard, 414 CHglorlrnN CoNSERVATToN AND BtoLocv, Volume 3, Number 3 - 1999

1984). Carettochelys insculpta and species in the tion to these, yielded little or no material. Either their are opportunistic omnivores (Legler, 197 6; stomachs were empty, or their stomach contents were not Georges, 1982; Chessman, 1986; Georges and Kennett, dislodged. Data from these individuals were not included in 1989), although they may be carnivorous when young with the analysis. All turtles were flushed as soon as pqssible, and increasing tendencies toward herbivory as they age(Georges, never more than 2 hrs after capture, then released. Stomach 1982). Their opportunism provides great scope for their diet contents were fixed and preserved in FAA Solution (Luna, to vary from locality to locality, in response to differences in 1968) and later examined under a stereo microscope for available foods, and presumably provides the ability to identification by the authors. Sand and other indigestible respond to changes in available foods resulting from human- items were considered to have been accidentally ingested, induced impacts. and were excluded from analysis. Despite these studies, and with the exception of P. Percentage composition by number and percentage umbrina (Burbidge, l98l ), detailed dietary data are lacking occurrence (Windell and Bowen, T978) were used to evalu- for threatened species with restricted distributions or low or ate the relative importance of different foods. The numerical declining populations, yet it is in the management of such method involved counting the number of items belonging to threatened species that this information will be of greatest each taxonomic group. Aquatic insects and small crusta- utility. Part of the reason for our lack of knowledge is that ceans usually remained intact and were easy to count. The many species that occupy single drainages have only re- numbers of terrestrial arthropods, when fragmented, were cently been described (e.g., R. leukops and Elusor macrurus) determined from the numbers of hindwings or other identi- or have yet to be described (Legler and Cann, 1980; Cann fiable parts. Items that did not occur as discrete units (fila- and Legler,1994; Georges and Adams ,1996). In this study, mentous algae, ribbon weed lVallisneria sp.], fig fragments we determine the diets of two recently described species lFicus sp.l, and barley from livestock feces) could not be with close affinities to Elseya latisternum (Georges and counted and were simply recorded as present or absent. As Adams,1992). such, they did not contribute to the numerical estimates, but Elseya georgesi (Cann, 1997) is found only in the did contribute to estimates of importance based on per- Bellinger drainage of coastal . Elseya centage occurrence. The percentage occurrence method georgesi and a second form (E. purvisi) from the Manning- involved expressing the number of turtles that had eaten Barnard drainage 160 km to the south are a sibling species- one or more items of a particular food as a percentage of pair that for many years were regarded as the same taxon the number of animals examined. Windell and Bowen (Cann, 1978; Legler, 1981). They are morphologically dif- (197 8) discussed the relative merits of these two meth- ficult to distinguish on external characters (Cann, 1978) but ods, among others. are very distinctive electrophoretically (Georges and Adams, Differential rates of digestion and passage through the 1996) and in their neural bone exposure (Thomson and gut for different types of food contribute an element of bias Georges, 1996). The Manning-Barnard species was given into estimates of the relative importance of food types the nam e Elseya purvisi by reference to published photo- calculated from stomach contents. The importance of foods graphs and with scant diagnosis (Wells and Wellington, with a relatively slow rate of pass age will be overestimated. 1985). Despite these shortcomings, this name is available, This source of bias was held to a minimum by excluding and our use of it follows that of Cann ( 1 997). This should in from the analysis partly digested invertebrates found in the no way be taken as support for the many other names mucous plug which occupies the pyloric stomach before it is provided by Wells and Wellington ( 1985) without adequate dislodged by the flushing process. The importance of foods description or diagnosis. that deteriorate rapidly in the stomach, such as oligochaetes, Materials and Methods. of Elseya purvisi cannot be determined. -Specimens were obtained in January 1993 by diving with the aid of mask Results and Discussion. - Table I lists foods of Elseya and fins from one location in each of the Manning and georgesi and E. purvisi, together with an indication of the Barnard Rivers; Elseya georgesi were obtained by similar relative importance of each major food type. Both species means in the same month from one location in the upper are omnivorous, though with strong leanings toward reaches of the Bellinger River. Turtles were captured from carnivory. Trichopteran larvae (primarily Leptoceridae and several kilometers of river at each location, spanning a Calamoceratidae) were the most important prey items, both number of pools and the full range of habitat variation in terms of percent occurrence and numerically. Lepidopteran present. Stomach contents of a total of 72 specimens were larvae (Pyralidae) were also important, particularly at the obtained by stomach flushing (Legler, I9l7). A l2 V sub- site. There were no striking differences mersible pump (L.V. Motors model 105) was used to supply in the composition of invertebrate foods across localities a steady flow of water, which was passed into the stomach or species except that terrestrial insects that fell upon the through a flexible plastic tube. Water flow was adjusted for water were found in 15.8Vo of stomachs from the Man- turtles of different sizes by interchanging tubes of different ning River locality, in trace amounts only from the diameters. The J2 animals comprised l2 juveniles (13-130 locality, and were absent from the Bellinger mm carapace length [CL]), 38 males (131-172 mm CL) and River locality. Indeed, the taxa represented in the diets 22 females (155-217 mm CL). Three individuals, in addi- were remarkably uniform across species and localities at NorEs AND FtEln REponrs 415

Table 1. Relative importance of prey items in the diets of Elseya georgesi and Elseya pu-rvlsi from coastal New South Wales, Australia. Percentage o""u.reni" is the numbei of turtles with a particulai fooa type in their stomachs_ expressed as a percentage of the total number of turtlejexamined. Percentage numerical is the nuniber of items in a category expressed as a percentage of the total number of items counted.Abbreviations:A=adults,L=larvae;P=pupae,*=traceonly,blank=zerooccurrefice,-=notcounted.

Elseya georgesi Elseya purvisi

Bellinger River Barnard River Manning River

Prey Type 7a Occurrence 7o Numerical 7o Occurrence 7o Numerical 7o Occutrence % Numerical

ANIMAL MATERIAL 100.0 100.0 89.5 Coleoptera 22.6 0.8 54.5 1.6 57.9 2.3 Dytiscidae spp (A, L) 3.2 {< 5.3 0.1 Elmidae spp. (L) 12.9 0.6 31.8 l.l 10.5 0.3 Hydrophilidae spp. (A,L) 6.5 * 13.6 0.2 15.8 0.4 Hygrobiidae spp. (A,L) 10.5 0.3 Psephenidae spp. (L) 9.r 0.2 26.3 0.8 Staphylinidae spp. (L) 5.3 0.1 Terrestrial (A) * * 15.8 0.4 Diptera 25.8 0.9 72.7 5.5 31.6 2.3 Athericidae spp. (L) 3.2 * Ceratopoginidae spp. (L) 9.1 0.2 Chironomidae spp. (L,P) 25.8 0.7 68.2 5.0 3r.6 2.2 Tabanidae spp. (L) 3.2 0.1 13.6 0.3 Ephemeroptera 6.5 0.1 45.5 6.3 15.8 0.8 Caenidae; Tasmanocoenis sp. (L) 6.5 0.1 22.1 0.6 5.3 0.3 Leptophlebiidae spp. (L) 31.8 5.7 15.8 0.5 Lepidoptera Pyralidae (Nympulinae) 16.l 5.1. 40.9 10.5 52.6 29.4 Odonata 12.9 0.6 77.3 6.6 47.4 2.E Aeshnidae: Austroaeschna sp. (L) * * Coenagrionida e: Austrocnemis splendida (L) 3.2 * Corduliidae: Cordulephyo py gmaea (L) 18.2 0.4 5.3 0.3 Gomphidae: Austrogomphus ocreceus (L) 36.4 1.6 26.3 0.9 Protoneuridae: I so sticta simplex (L) 9.6 0.5 50.0 4.4 3r.6 1.7 Synlestidae * * Trichoptera 96.8 92.4 100.0 69.5 78.9 62.6 Atriplectidae spp. (L) t9.4 1.7 54.5 7.8 Calamoceratidae spp. (L) 58. l 9.5 90.9 26.6 5t .9 r7.9 Conoesucidae spp. (L) 9.6 0.2 >F * 5.3 0.r Ecnomidae spp. (L) 22.7 1.0 5.3 0.1 Glossosomatidae spp. (L) * 0.5 5.3 0.1 Helicophidae spp. (L) 19.4 t.7 10.5 0.3 Helicopsychidae spp. (L) l6.l 0.4 47.4 9.9 Hydropsychidae spp. (L) 10.5 0.4 Hydroptilidae spp. (L) 9.6 0.2 18.2 l.l 5.3 0.1 Leptoceridae spp. (L) 96.8 76.3 95.5 29.6 78.9 30.4 Pupae (unidentified) 48.4 2.7 45.4 2.8 42.1 3.2 PLANT MATERIAL 35.5 36.4 63.2

TOTALS 3l turtles l4l5 items 22 turtles 1045 items 19 turtles 780 items

the family level. Those differences that did occur could females (CL > 200 mm) had eaten no ephemeropteran or probably be explained by differences in availability of lepidopteran larvae. Juveniles (CL < 135 mm) consumed foods at the different localities, although this was not very little plant material and ephemeropteran larvae, and quantified. odonate nymphs were generally absent from their stomachs. Plant material was present in the stomachs of approxi- Females with CL in the range of 160-200 mm consumed a mately 357o of turtles from the Bellinger and Barnard Rivers greater proportion of pyralid (Lepidoptera) larvae than males and in 63 Vo of turtles from the Manning River. Figs, many of in the same size group, and mature females in general had a which had been parasitrzed by wasps (Idarnes australis), greater propensity (72.7 7o of stomachs) to consume plant algae, and ribbon weed (Vallisneria sp.) were the principal material than mature males (3 3 .3%o) or j uveniles ( 16.7 7o) . plant foods, though many turtles in the Manning River had There were no appreciable differences in the diet of eEten partially digested barley from cattle feces. males, females, or juveniles when compared separately 'i Although sample sizes precluded detailed statistical across rivers. analysis, it was evident that larger animals had a greater Both E. georgesi and E. purvisi are essentially omni- propensity to consume plant matter. Algae and ribbon weed vores, gaining a high proportion of their food from benthic were found in substantial quantities in three of the largest macro-invertebrate communities (> 95 Toby occurrence), females from both the Bellinger and Manning Rivers. Large but with some terrestrial fruit and aquatic vegetation 176 CHpr-oNrnN CoNSERVATToN AND BroLocv, Volume 3, Number 3 - 1999 eaten. They feed upon prey that are relatively sedentary provide refugia and habitat for aquatic macro-inverte- and live in immediate association with the substratum, brates. Consequential changes in the sedentary benthic such as cased caddis-fly larvae (Leptoceridae) and lepi- macro-invertebrate fauna, as have occurred in many dopteran larvae (Pyralidae) (Table 1). Like Emydura, other Australian streams, may substantially impact these these turtles lack the spe crahzed morphological adapta- turtle populations. Their reliance on sedentary benthic tions and behavior of Chelodina (Lesler, l9l6; Pritchard, macro-invertebrates may exacerbate their vulnerability, al- 1984) required to secure fast-moving prey such as fish ready high because both species each occupy single small and adult coleopterans and hemipterans. Within these drainages. constraints, the wide range of foods taken gives no indication that E. georgesi and E. purvisi are selective in Acknowledgments. We would like to thank Ros what they eat, though substantive data to allow a com- Stoutjedijk, Fiona Beynon,- and David Lambert for assis- parison between diets and prey availability are lacking tance in the field and Mike Palmer-Allen for providing (see Georges et al., 1986). valuable technical assistance. John Cann shared with us Ontogenetic dietary shifts in turtles are common (Clark his extensive knowledge on the localities of substantial and Gibbons, 1969; Georges, 1982; Chessman, 1984, 1986; populations of both species, without which this project Kennett and Tory, 1996), with juveniles of omnivorous would not have been possible. The Fraser family kindly species tending toward carnivory and adults tending more granted us access to the Manning River on their property toward herbivory. This variation in diet within single and the NSW Government provided permits to allow the populations has been explained in terms of optimal for- work to proceed. This paper benefited greatly from the aging, energetic efficiency (Clark and Gibbons, 1969; scrutiny it received by the Science Writers' Club at the Georges, 1982; Parmenter and Avery, 1990), microhabi- University of Canberra and from comments made by tat differences in prey availability (Hart, 1983), and Scott Thomson, Sean Doody, Patrick Driver, and Wayne increasing strength as the turtles grow larger, enabling Robinson. them to take advant age of a wider range of foods (GeorgeS, 1982: Chessman, 1986). Dietary shift was evident but Literature Cited not pronounced in the present study, with the two species of Elseya examined falling more toward the carnivorous BunerocE, A.A. 198 I . The ecology of the western swamp tortoise end of the spectrum overall than other omnivorous Aus- Pseuclentydura wnbrina (Testudines: Chelidae). Austr. Wildl. tral ran Entydurd species so far examined (Georges, I 982; Res. 8:203-223. Chessman, 1983, 1984). Dietary shitt toward herbivory CRNN, J.l9lS.Tortoises of Australia. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, was only strongly evident when the very largest females 19 pp. were examined. There was evidence of prey size differ- CnNN, J. 1997. Georges short-necked turtle. Monitor (Victorian ence among turtles of different si zes. Lack of Herpetological Society) 9: I 8-23, 3l-32. CRNN, J., RNo LEclen, J.M. 1994. The Mary River tortoise: a new ephemeropteran and odonate larvae in the foods of juve- genus and species of short-necked chelid from nile turtles, and their presence in the diets of larger turtles , Australia (Testudines; ). Chelonian Conservation and probably reflects the general tendency of smaller turtles Biology I :81 -96. (Moll to feed upon smaller prey items , l9l6; Georges, CuEssuRN, B.C. I 983. Observations on the diet ofthe broad-shelled 1982; Chessman , 1983, 1984). This may also explain the turtle, Chelodina exponsa Gray (Testudines: Chelidae). Aust. reverse trend whereby smaller turtles tended to have more Wildl. Res. l0: 169-172. iterns in their stomachs than larger turtles, true also of CHessMAN, B.C. 1984. Food of the snake-necked turtle, Cheloclina expanso (Chessman, I 983). Chelodina longicollis (Shaw) (Testudines: Chelidae) in the Both the Bellinger and Manning-Barnard systems are Murray Valley, Victoria and New South Wales. Aust. Wildl. Res. I l:573-578. clear-water, continuously flowing rivers in their middle and CHEssvnN, B.C. I 986. Diet of the Murray turtle, Enn,dura nmcquarii upper reaches, with an instream macro-invertebrate fauna (Gray) (Testudines: Chelidae). Australian Wildl. Res. 13:65-69. that is diverse and appears to have been little impacted by CLRRT, D.B., AND GrssoNs, J.W. 1969. Dietary shift in the turtle human activity within their respective catchments. The Pseuclenrys scripta (Schoepff) from youth to maturity. Copeia present study shows that both E. georgesi and E. purvisi 1969:704-706. currently draw the bulk of their foods from the macro- Fr-ErcHEn, A.R., MoRtsoN, A.K., AND HuvE, D.J. 1985. Effects of invertebrate fauna closely associated with the river bed. carp, Cyprinus carpio L., on communities of aquatic vegetation Increased sedimentation can result from bank erosion, and turbidity of waterbodies in the lower Goulburn River basin. removal of vegetation and consequential increased run- Austr. J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 36:3ll-327. GEoncES, A. 1982. Diet of the Australian freshwater turtle Emyclurct off-and erosion within the catchment, altered flow re- krffiii (Chelonia: Chelidae), in an unproductive lentic environ- gimes, livestock access, and the introduction of Euro- ment. Copeia 1982:33 I -336. pean carp (WilliaffiS, 1980; Fletcher et al., 1985). Sedi- GEoncEs, A., AND Aonvs, M. 1992. A phylogeny for Australian mentation from such disturbances can be expected to chelid turtles based on allozyme electrophoresis. Austr. J.Zool. smother the stream bed by filling interstitial spaces and 40:453-416. restricting growth of aquatic macrophytes, both of which GEoncES, A., AND AoRtr,ts, M. 1996. Electrophoretic delineation of NorEs AND FrElo Rpponrs 471

species boundaries within the short-necked fieshwater turtles of Australia (Testr-rdines: Chelidae). Zoological Journal of the 11 7 17 e o,,,,)e,, Jil:i:, l; :il ?:l:ll;, JJ,l; ;11,1; Lirrnean Society I I 8: 241-260. GEonces. A., AND KENNETT, R.M. 1989. Dry-season distribution and ecology of Curettoc'ltelvs irt.sc'ulptct (Chelonia: Short-Term Effectiveness of Passive Carettochelyidae) in Kakadu National Park, Northern Australia. Integrated Transponder (PIT) Tags Used Aust. Wildl. Res. 16:323-335. in GeoRcES, A., NoRRrs, R.H., AND WENsTNG. L. 1986. Diet of the the Study of Mediterranean Marine Turtles

freshwater tr"rrtl e C he I oclinu lon g i col/is (Testudi nes : Chel iclae ) fl'orn the coastal dture lakes of the Jervis Bay Territory. Ar-rst. BnpNnAN J. GonrEyr, ANruETTE C. BnoDERrcKI, Wildl. Res. l3:301-308. AND Srnpnu MoRAGHAN2 HnRt, D.R. 1983. Dietary and habitat shifi with size of red-eared turtles (P,seuclern-\'.r sc'r'iltttt) in a southern Louisiana popr-rlation. I Herpetologica 39: 285- 290. Mrtrirte Turtle Re.seart'h Group, St'lutol cf' Bioktgit'ul St'ien('e.\, KEivNErr, R., AND Tonv. O. 1996. Diet of two freshwater turtles. Urtiver,sitl' qf Wules Su'aruse a, Sirtgletort Park, Sv,ctrtsea, SA2 Cheloclirru rugosrt ancl E,lseyu clentatu (Testudines: Chelidae) BPP, Urtitecl Kirtgclorn I E-rrtuil : [email protected]. ut'.uk] : TR.SPCA fronr the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia. Copeia I 996:409- Stupelev Gntrtge Wildli,fe Ho,sltitol, Lonclon Roctcl, 4t9. Stupelv, l{arttvric'lt, Clrcsltire, CW5 7JW, Urtitetl Kirtgrktnt LEGLER, J.M . 197 6. Feedin-e habits of some Australian short- necked tortoises. Vict. Nat. 93:40-43. A variety of rnethods have been utilized in the marking LEGLER, J.M. 1917. Stomach flushing: a technique for chelonian of free-ranging marine turtles to enable subsequent identifi- dietary studies. Herpetolo_eici'r 33 :28 I -284. cation of individuals. Information that can be derived as a LecLER, J.M. 1978. Observations on behavior and ecolo_qy in an result of such studies include: data regarding movements, Ar-rstralian turtle, Cheloclina e.rpun.\o (Testr"rdines: Chelidae). intra- and inter-seasonal nesting behavior, estimation of Can. J. ZooL 56:2449-2453. population size, and growth rates. These are parameters that LecLER, J.M. 198 l. The ., distribution, and ecology of must be accurately known to allow fbr successful conservation Au stral i an freshwater turtles (Testudi nes : Pleurodira: CheI idae ). Natl. Geogr. Soc. Res. Rep. 13:391-404. and management of these threatened and endangered species. LEcLeR, J.M., AND CRNN, J. 1980. A new genus and species of chelid The rnethod most commonly used is external flipper turtle from Qureensland. Ar"rstralia. Contr. Sci. Nat. Hist. Mus. tagging, of which a variety of designs, rnaterials, and protocols Los Angeles Co. 324: l- 18. have been used in different species due to factors such as tag LttNn, L.G. 1968. Manual of Histologic Staining Methods of the strength, durability of markings, and retention rates (Balazs, Arr-ned Forces Institute of Pathology (Third London: Ed.). 1982; Henwood, 1986; Eckert and Eckert, 1989; Alvarado et McGraw-Hill Book Co. al., 1993). Tag loss has been considered a major confounding Mrrrl, D. 1916. Food and f'eeding strategies of the Ouachita map factor in many marine turtle studies (Limpus, 1992). In addi- turtle (G raptent\ts pse utlo geo g raphic'ct ouctcltitensis). Amer. Midl. Nat. 96:418-482. tion, recent concern has been expressed regarding the possible PnnrrrENrER, R.R., AND AveRv, H.w. 1990. The feeding ecology of role cerlain tag types might have on the likelihood of incidental the slider turtle. In: Gibbons, J.w. (Ed.). Lif-e Hisrory and capture in net-based fisheries (Nichols et al., 1998). Ecolo-uy of the SliderTurtle. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Inst. Although most studies continue to use traditional flip- Pre ss, pp.257 -266. per tags, a possible long-term alternative has been identified Pnrrcunnn, P.C.H. 1984. Piscivory in turtles, and evolution of the in the use of internal Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) long-necked chelidae. In: Ferguson, M.w.J. (Ed.). The Srruc- tags (Fontaine et al., 1987; Parmenter, 1993). After several ture, Development ar-rd Evolution of Reptiles. SymposraZool. years of use, this technique has allowed estimation of exter- Soc. Lond. 52:87 - I 10. nal flipper tag loss and revision of previous over-estimates TuovrsoN, S., AND Ggonces, A. 1996. Neural bones in Austra- lian chelid turtles. Chelonian Conservation and Biology of nesting numbers (McDonald and Dutton, 1996). 2:82-86. Since 1992., an annual,, intensive tagging program of WpLLS, R.w., AND WellrNcroN, C.R. 1985. A classification of the Mediterranean green (Chelonia nn,clas) and loggerhead Amphibia and Reptilia of Australia. Austr. J. Herp. Supp. Ser. (Carettcr coretta) turtles has been undertaken at Alagadi l:l-61. Beach, northern Cyprus (Broderick and Godley, 1996). Wn-lrnvs, w.D. (Ed ) 1980. An Ecological Basis for Water Here, plastic stock tags (Jumbo tags and Supertags, Dalton Resource Manergement. Canberra: Ar"rstralian National Univ. Supplies Ltd., UK) have been used to tag 78 green turtles and Press. l22loggerhead turtles. Tags are placed on the trailing edge WrNosl1, J.T., AND BowEN., S.H. I 978. Methods tor the study of fish of both fore-flippers in the position recommended by Limpus diets based on the analysis of stomach contents. In: Bagenal. T. (1992). Given the possible advantages of marking using PIT (Ed ). IBP Handbook No. 3: Methods f or the Assessment of Fish Prodr"rction in Fresh Waters (Third Ed.). Oxford: Blackwell tags, an initiative has been developed using this technique. Scient. Publ., pp. 219-226. This note summarizes the results of the first two seasons of the use of this technique and presents data regarding its Rec'eivecl: 9 February I 998 short-term usefulness. Review'ecl: 7 Septernber 1998 Methoclolog),. During the laying process all nesting Revisecl ancl Ac'cepted: 30 September 1998 - female turtles at Alagadi, northern Cyprus (35"33'N, 33"47'E)