Literaturdatenbank
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Rioux Paquette, S., Lapointe, F.-J., & Louis, E. E. , The worrisome decline of the radiated tortoise (geochelone radiata), a flagship species from southern madagascar. Paper presented at Turtle Survival Alliance 2007 Annual Meeting.
Added by: Admin (13 Dec 2008 22:23:53 UTC) |
| Resource type: Proceedings Article BibTeX citation key: RiouxPaquette2007a View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Astrochelys, Astrochelys radiata, Geochelone, Habitat = habitat, Madagaskar = Madagascar, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Testudinidae Creators: Lapointe, Louis, Rioux Paquette Collection: Turtle Survival Alliance 2007 Annual Meeting |
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| Abstract |
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Testudinidae The endangered radiated tortoise (Geochelone radiata) is endemic to the spiny forest of southern Madagascar. As intense as habitat destruction may be in this biome, the main threat to the persistence of this chelonian species remains overexploitation, mostly for local food consumption, but also for illegal international markets. This species has been harvested by several tribes since the 8th century, but its range has dramatically shrunk over the past few years. To illustrate this worrisome trend, results from a recent survey in Andohahela National Park, southeast Madagascar, are provided. The most alarming aspect of these results is the fact that very few adults G. radiata could be found. Remains of perhaps 50 to 100 large tortoises were subsequently uncovered in a nearby cave, confirming that large individuals from that population had been poached. This phenomenon has also been noticed at several other locations during an expedition throughout the range of the species in 2004. Considering characteristics of tortoise demographics and reproduction, this exploitation is highly unsustainable. Furthermore, genetic data on population differentiation show that the species is composed of several distinct conservation units (mainly associated with the presence of rivers), emphasizing the importance of conserving populations throughout its distribution area in order to preserve the original genetic structure and diversity of the species. Finally, it would be a serious mistake to assume that the cultural taboo prohibiting some tribes from killing tortoises is still sufficient to protect the species, even in its last remaining refuges along the southwestern coast.
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