Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Mobaraki, A. , A short report on mesopotamian soft-shell turtle rafetus euphraticus (daudin 1802) from iran. Paper presented at Turtle Survival Alliance 2007 Annual Meeting.
Added by: Admin (13 Dec 2008 22:23:47 UTC) Last edited by: Beate Pfau (10 Jan 2009 14:16:11 UTC) |
| Resource type: Proceedings Article BibTeX citation key: Mobaraki2007a View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Asien = Asia, Habitat = habitat, Rafetus, Rafetus euphraticus, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Trionychidae Creators: Mobaraki Collection: Turtle Survival Alliance 2007 Annual Meeting |
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| Abstract |
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Trionyx There is a population of Mesopotamian soft shell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) in small part of Iran. Its range not only is limited in the country, comprising of only Khoozestan province, but also is restricted in the area too. The habitats are mostly along the main rivers and also other existing water bodies like the wetlands, ponds and irrigating channels. Karoon, Karkheh, Dez, Shahoor rivers and Shadegan and Hur-Al Azim International wetlands are supposed to be the main habitats for this species in the country. Also the border area of Iran and Iraq is supposed to be important parts of the Rafetus range. The local name for this turtle is “Rafesh” or “Righal” which are Arabic name. Rafesh is relatively unstudied species in the country and most important existing reports refers to far years (Tuck 1971, Anderson 1979), so there are considerable gaps on our information about its biology. The main habitats of the turtles have been visited in the past years for several times in order to collect any related information about it including situation and threatening factors. Rafetus is very wary and disappears into the water immediately when approached, so it is quite difficult to find or sea it easily. Although there are few and different records about the size of Rafesh, in one occasion the curved carapace length of one captured turtle in Dez River measured 64 cm and weighting about 20 kilograms. It seems that in suitable and optimal situation they have potential to grow in larger sizes. In the studies different threatening factors were identified in which the most important ones are: # Different kinds of pollutions like urban, industrial and agricultural sewages # Fishing by using of different methods like long lines, hooks, set nets and others # Kinds of habitat destruction like urbanization and developing, debris, oil extraction and transportation, livestock, mainly buffalos, which use to stay in water # Unawareness and lack of knowledge of the local people providing problems Conservation Measures: This species wasn’t listed as threatened species in the country but, in our last action it listed as ‘Endangered species” of the country and the fine for the any killed turtles increase from $ 20 to $ 35 and we suggested to increase it to US$ 6oo.More over some areas has designated as “protected areas” or “wild life refuge” in which some specific regulations and legislations are undertaken, for example: Dez and Karkheh protected areas and Shadegan wild life refuge which is an international wetland site too.
Added by: Admin Last edited by: Beate Pfau |