Ivana Mali

Magnitude of the Freshwater Turtle Exports from the US: Long Term Trends and Early Effects of Newly Implemented Harvest Management Regimes

Unregulated commercial harvest remains a major threat for turtles across the globe. Due to continuing demand from Asian markets, a significant number of turtles are exported from the United States of America (US). Beginning in 2007, several southeastern states in the US implemented restrictions on the commercial harvest of turtles, in order to address the unsustainable take. We have summarized freshwater turtle exports from the US between 2002 and 2012 and demonstrated that the magnitude of turtle exports from the US remained high although the exports decreased throughout the decade. Louisiana and California were the major exporters. The majority of exports were captive bred, and from two genera, Pseudemys and Trachemys. We review the changes over the decade and speculate that the increase in export of wild turtles out of Louisiana after 2007 could be a consequence of strict regulations in surrounding states (e.g., Alabama, Florida). We suggest that if wild turtle protection is a goal for conservation efforts, then these states should work together to develop comprehensive regulation reforms pertaining to the harvest of wild turtles.

Switching Bait as a Method to Improve Freshwater Turtle Capture and Recapture Success with Hoop Net Traps

Abstract We surveyed freshwater turtles at sites in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Bastrop Lost Pines ecoregions of Texas annually since 2008 and 2009, respectively, and found that captures and recaptures per unit effort (CPUE and RPUE, respectively) decreased annually. In 2011, we tested whether or not switching the type of bait used to attract turtles affected CPUE and RPUE. Under the assumption that bait preferences affect capture probabilities both among and within species, we hypothesized that switching bait would increase CPUE in 2011 by attracting individuals not captured in previous years. We also hypothesized that low recapture success in previous years was due to an olfactory-induced trap-shy response. We tested this hypothesis by determining if RPUE increased when we switched the type of bait used to attract turtles. We found that switching from fish-based bait to red meat significantly increased CPUE, but not RPUE, for Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared Slider). We also found weak evidence that Apalone spinifera emoryi (Texas Spiny Softshell) preferred red meat over fish-based bait. The results of this study indicate that switching bait can be an effective way to maximize CPUE across multiple years when monitoring freshwater turtles using baited hoop nets. However, switching bait did not affect RPUE, which indicates that the apparent trap-shy behavior of turtles in our study areas is not driven by an olfactory-induced response to the type of bait used.

No Difference in Short-Term Temporal Distribution of Trapping Effort on Hoop-Net Capture Efficiency for Freshwater Turtles

Abstract We investigated the influence of trapping duration on freshwater turtle captures using baited hoop-nets. We trapped 9 ponds in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and 6 ponds in the Lost Pines ecoregion areas of Texas in the summer of 2010 using high-intensity, short-duration trapping (40 traps/1 day) and low-intensity, longer-duration trapping (10 traps/4 days). We found that the number of captures was not different between sampling schemes. However, the mean capture rate was twice as high after the first day of low-intensity trapping. This study showed that researchers seeking to maximize captures per-unit-effort (CPUE) should focus on the least time-intensive, labor-intensive, and expensive way to complete the trapping effort, rather than short-term temporal distribution of trapping effort.

Effects of Bait Type, Bait Age, and Trap Hours on Capture Success of Freshwater Turtles

Abstract We trapped freshwater turtles using hoop nets and 3 different bait types along a short section of Oyster Creek, Fort Bend County, TX. Using a model-selection approach, we tested the effectiveness of different baits on capture success, taking into consideration the length of time the bait was in the water, time of day, and the number of hours for the set (trap hours). We had significantly more success when we used dry dog food and dry cat food than traditional canned sardine bait. Bait age and time of day when traps were checked had no influence on capture success. Contrary to our expectations, the number of captures decreased throughout the study. Our results suggest that turtle researchers should consider using alternative bait types to maximize trap effort. However, there was a significant interaction between canned sardines and bait age for Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared Slider) captures, suggesting that canned sardines should be replaced often. In addition, more research is needed to test capture success when baits are older than one day.

Evidence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Infection in Amphibians from Serbian Lowlands

Abstract We investigated presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in the Republic of Serbia. Seven out of 88 samples (8%) tested positive, all belonging to the frog genus Pelophylax. Two positive sites were located directly on the Danube River. The Danube River could be an important disease corridor, and distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis along this river should be further explored.

Small Scale-High Resolution Terrestrial Activity of Trachemys scripta elegans, Harvest Intensity, and Immediate Movement Responses Following Harvest Events

Overland movement is an important aspect of freshwater turtle ecology. Turtles make overland excursions searching for mates, to find new aquatic habitats, in response to drought, or during nesting. Here, we tested how environmental factors may influence the excursion events of adult Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans). We found that 85% of turtles made overland movements at least once, which is higher than previously reported, and some turtles made multiple movements (2–6) during a single season. Rain and drought events were significant predictors of overland movements. While sex did not appear to be a significant factor, there was an indication that movement may depend on seasonal temperatures. In addition, we showed that turtles immigrated to depopulated ponds in a short period of time after a simulated harvest event. However, after a second harvest simulation, our experimental pond was not repopulated to its original abundance. Our results call for caution when implementing spatially controlled harvest regimes. Ponds depleted by harvesting might not be repopulated by immigrating turtles if source population sizes also decrease due to the regular dispersal to sink populations and subsequently slows overall reproduction rates.

Modeling Commercial Freshwater Turtle Production on US Farms for Pet and Meat Markets

Freshwater turtles are being exploited for meat, eggs, traditional medicine, and pet trade. As a response, turtle farming became a booming aquaculture industry in the past two decades, specifically in the southeastern states of the United States of America (US) and across Southeast Asia. However, US turtle farms are currently producing turtles only for the pet trade while commercial trappers remain focused on catching the largest individuals from the wild. In our analyses we have created a biological and economic model that describes farming operations on a representative turtle farm in Louisiana. We first modeled current production of hatchling and yearling red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) (i.e., traditional farming) for foreign and domestic pet markets, respectively. We tested the possibility of harvesting adult turtles from the breeding stock for sale to meat markets to enable alternative markets for the farmers, while decreasing the continued pressures on wild populations (i.e., non-traditional farming). Our economic model required current profit requirements of ~

Twenty Years of Herping: Updated Visual Representation of Species Richness in New Mexico

13/turtle or ~

Population Genetics of Texas Spiny Softshell Turtles (Apalone spinifera emoryi) Under Various Anthropogenic Pressures in Two Distinct Regions of Their Range in Texas

20.31/kg of meat from non-traditional farming in order to acquire the same profit as traditional farming, a value which currently exceeds market values of red-eared sliders. However, increasing competition with Asian turtle farms and decreasing hatchling prices may force the shift in the US toward producing turtles for meat markets. In addition, our model can be modified and applied to more desirable species on the meat market once more knowledge is acquired about species life histories and space requirements under farmed conditions.

Reproductive demography of two closely related Emydine Turtles in a spring fed system

Abstract Based on herpetofaunal records, New Mexico is one of the most diverse states in the American Southwest. We visually summarized reptile and amphibian diversity in New Mexico using occurrence data from the past 20 years. We also identified patterns of species richness by county and discuss survey bias as a factor. In general, northwestern counties had the lowest number of species while central and southwestern regions had the highest numbers of species. We also recognized species-rich counties with few to no new county records in the past 20 years as areas that potentially reached survey saturation.