Literaturdatenbank
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Kuchling, G. , Effect of the captive environment on the behavior of released western swamp turtles, pseudemydura umbrina, and suitability of captive-bred versus wild turtles for translocation. Unpublished paper presented at 6th World Congress of Herpetology.
Added by: Admin (21 Nov 2009 11:59:58 UTC) |
| Resource type: Conference Paper BibTeX citation key: Kuchling2008a View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Australien = Australia, Chelidae, Habitat = habitat, Pseudemydura, Pseudemydura umbrina, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Verhalten = ethology Creators: Kuchling Collection: 6th World Congress of Herpetology |
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| Abstract |
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The critically endangered Western Swamp Turtle Pseudemydura umbrina inhabits shallow, ephemeral, winter-wet swamps on clay or sand over clay soils in a Mediterranean climate in south-western Australia. When the swamps dry out in late spring P. umbrina moves from the swamp areas into slightly elevated bush land and aestivates in naturally occurring holes or under leaf litter. Since 1988 a successful captive breeding project operates at Perth Zoo and since 1994 about 20-40 captive-bred, head-started, two to four year old juveniles with >100g body mass are released per year into two nature reserves. A change in aestivation management at Perth Zoo (holes + leaf litter provided in aestivation pens 1989-1998, no holes only leaf litter 1998-2003, holes + leaf litter again since 2003) was gradually reflected in the aestivation site choices of freshly released turtles after a lag time of 2-4 years. This demonstrates that the aestivation environment and aestivation experience of captive tortoises influence their choice of aestivation sites (holes versus leaf litter) after their release into the wild. This choice directly effects the survival prospects of released turtles during wild fires. When wild P. umbrina found outside a nature reserve are moved and released inside the reserve, they return home to the outside even if they have to climb over 2.2m high fences. For that reason some wild P. umbrina were maintained for several years in captivity at Perth Zoo until their previous home area had been incorporated into the fenced area of Ellen Brook Nature Reserve. When 15 wild P. umbrina that had been kept in captivity for between 5 and 14 years were translocated back to Ellen Brook Nature Reserve in 2006, all adult turtles returned to their former home range during the first three months after their release. Males returned home faster than females and the time needed to return home increased in proportion to the length of time the turtles had spent in captivity. Only wild juveniles which had spent most of their life in captivity did not show homing behavior. For these reasons it is not a good strategy to move wild P. umbrina found outside nature reserves into the reserves. Captive-bred juveniles establish new home ranges in nature reserves more readily than wild translocated turtles.
Added by: Admin |