Literaturdatenbank
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Rhodin, A. G. J., Ibarrondo, B. R., & Kuchling, G. , Field report for the roti island snake-neck turtle, chelodina mccordi, may 2006: surveys for possible protected areas. Paper presented at Turtle Survival Alliance 2006 Annual Meeting.
Added by: Admin (13 Dec 2008 22:23:52 UTC) |
| Resource type: Proceedings Article BibTeX citation key: Rhodin2006 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Australien = Australia, Chelidae, Chelodina, Chelodina mccordi, Chelodina novaeguineae, Chelonia, Cheloniidae, Habitat = habitat, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises Creators: Ibarrondo, Kuchling, Rhodin Collection: Turtle Survival Alliance 2006 Annual Meeting |
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| Abstract |
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A review and update of the status and rapid decline of Chelodina mccordi is presented, including field data from a recent site visit in May 2006 to survey for potential protected areas for the species. Chelodina mccordi is a freshwater snake-neck turtle endemic to the tiny (1200 sq. km.) island of Roti, Indonesia. First collected in 1890, but assigned to the widespread taxon Chelodina novaeguineae, it maintained small viable populations for over a century, threatened only by moderate exploitative pressures in the 1970s and 1980s as a pet-trade substitute for actual C. novaeguineae from New Guinea. Following its description as a new and restricted taxon, C. mccordi Rhodin 1994, international pet-trade demand soared and trade pressures began to impact remaining populations heavily. Field work in the early 1990s confirmed a burgeoning trade with two or three isolated populations occurring on the island, occupying only ca. 70 sq. km of restricted habitat. Over the last decade the pet trade has driven the species into commercial extinction. Recent field work on Roti has documented a high-volume, high-priced trade over the last decade leading from robust harvests in the mid- and late 1990s to a population crash and commercial extinction over the last few years. Current illegal export levels are only a handful of animals per year after thousands per year were exported in the mid-1990s. IUCN Red List status has been upgraded from Vulnerable in 1996 (first listing) to Critically Endangered in 2000. CITES listed the species on Appendix II in 2004. An urgent Conservation Action Plan for the species has been initiated and supported by a consortium of organizations, including the Indonesian Turtle Conservation Group, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Chelonian Research Foundation, and Turtle Conservation Fund. Captive Assurance Colonies have been established within the framework of the Turtle Survival Alliance. The survival of the species in the wild remains guarded, but on-going conservation efforts and heightened awareness bring hope to an otherwise dire situation. Protected areas for the species on Roti are lacking, but critically needed; current field work identifies several specific areas for consideration.
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