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success or failure of this reintroduction, early observations bode well for the future of the Roofed Turtle. The acid test will come later this year as the wet season commences. Floodwaters surging down the rivers may sweep the turtles downstream into heavily fished stretches laced with deadly monofilament nets, or they may remain in the relative safety of the release areas. Only time, and continued monitoring by our dedicated field staff, will tell. OTHER CONSERVATION ACTION The TSA/WCS Turtle Team continues to oversee the in situ propagation of endangered chelonians in Myanmar as an adjunct to field programs. In addition to the spectacularly successful Star Tortoise breeding program that is producing 1,500 to 2,000 hatchlings every year, two assurance colonies of Asian Brown Tortoises (Manouria emys phayrei) are now established. First attempts to incubate Brown Tortoise eggs under natural conditions last year ended in failure when ants ate through the eggshells and devoured the developing embryos. To remedy the situation, this year we collected the eggs shortly after laying and the clutches are being incubated in Styrofoam boxes. Notable success was achieved in breeding Roofed Turtles at the Mandalay Zoo; 51 eggs hatched successfully, with others still incubating at the time of this writing. ENDANGERED TURTLE BREEDS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CAPTIVITY A significant ‘first’ occurred at the Mandalay Zoo when a Burmese Peacock Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia formosa) deposited a clutch of eggs, 12 of which later hatched. To our knowledge, this event marks the first successful breeding of this endangered species in captivity. In another notable achievement this year, three Arakan Forest Turtle (Heosemys depressa) hatchlings emerged from eggs deposited at the assurance colony in Gwa. Unlike in past years when egg laying went unnoticed by keepers because these turtles are extremely secretive, even in captivity, this year’s nesting was not only observed but also filmed by Hein Htet, a Yangon University doctoral student conducting field research on Arakan Forest Turtles for his dissertation. Finally, a survey of pagodas throughout coastal regions of Myanmar bore fruit when Win Ko Ko discovered two Estuarine Terrapins (Batagur baska) languishing in a pond near Moulmein. One turtle was hauled from the pond More than 1,500 Burmese Star Tortoises are being hatched every year at three assurance colonies in Myanmar. These tortoises will be headstarted and eventually released at wildlife sanctuaries throughout their former distribution in the dry zone of central Myanmar. PHOTO CREDIT: STEVEN G. PLATT and found to be a female, while the sex of the second remains undetermined. Negotiations are currently underway to secure what may be the only two surviving Estuarine Terrapins in Myanmar for an incipient assurance colony. Contacts: Steven G. Platt (sgplatt@gmail.com), Kalyar Platt, Me Me Soe, Win Ko Ko, Khin Myo Myo, Tint Lwin, and Myo Minh Win: Turtle Survival Alliance and Wildlife Conservation Society, Building C-1, Aye Yeik Mon 1 st Street, Hlaing Township, Yangon, Union of Myanmar. Acknowledgements: For their steadfast and generous support of the TSA/WCS Myanmar Turtle Conservation Program, we wish to recognize the following donors: Andrew Sabin and the Sabin Family Foundation, Andrew Walde, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Helmsley Charitable Trust, Holohil Systems, Ltd., Panaphil Foundation, Patricia Koval and WWF Canada, Turtle Conservation Fund, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. december 2015 32 turtle survival
RANGE COUNTRY UPDATE INDONESIA more than 10,000 Mangrove Apple trees (Sonneratia sp.), a favorite food of the Painted River Terrapin. The turtles often congregate under these trees within the flooded mangroves to wait for the ripened fruit to fall. Painted Terrapins occasionally bask on sandy riverbanks to regulate body temperature. This image was captured on the Tamiang River at sunset. PHOTO CREDIT: JOKO GUNTURO Painted River Terrapin Conservation Underway in Aceh, Sumatra Joko Guntoro HELP NEEDED TO EXPAND CONSERVATION EFFORTS After the protected eggs hatch, B. borneoensis juveniles are kept for headstarting at the Foundation’s headstarting and education center. As of 2015, 167 Painted River Terrapin hatchlings have been released back into the wild. In 2016, we’ll begin monitoring released turtles thanks to a generous donation of equipment from Walde Research and Environmental Consulting. Illegal egg harvesting and destruction of riverine vegetation continue, while many ecological and biological aspects of this species are not adequately understood and haven’t been studied. Conservation planning is compromised while these threats continue to impact the Painted River Terrapin, as well as all other endangered freshwater turtles and tortoises throughout Indonesia. A TSA Indonesia Program is seriously needed to play an important role in helping to ensure their continued survival in the future. Contacts: Joko Guntoro, Yayasan Satucita Lestari Indonesia, Kejuruan Muda, Aceh Tamiang, Indonesia. jokoguntoro@gmail.com With its vast size, and a varied geography ranging over 17,500 different islands, Indonesia is surpassed only by Brazil in its rich biodiversity. With a tropical climate and equatorial location, Indonesia also ranks fifth in the world regarding diversity of turtle species; equal to both China and Brazil. Among the 31 turtle species found here, three are endemic. Five Indonesian turtle species are currently listed among the World’s 25 Most Endangered Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles as determined by the Turtle Conservation Coalition. These include the Rote Island Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi), the Asian Narrow-headed Softshell Turtle (Chitra chitra), the Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis), the Sulawesi Forest Turtle (Leucocephalon yuwonii), and the Painted River Terrapin (Batagur borneoensis). Indonesian turtle and tortoise species have endured high levels of egg harvesting as villagers collect them to eat or sell at local markets. These animals also face nest predation by wild pigs and monitor lizards and increasing habitat destruction as mangrove forests are destroyed and lost. More conservation efforts are clearly needed to help overcome these challenges. SATUCITA FOUNDATION BOOSTS CONSERVATION OF B. BORNEOENSIS Currently, the Painted River Terrapin (B. borneoensis) is the only Indonesian chelonian on which field conservation activities are focused. B. borneoensis is dependent on the mangrove ecosystem for food and habitat. The loss of riverine vegetation has played a large role in the species’ decline as mangrove swamps are rapidly converted for argiculture, charcoal production, and oil palm plantations. To help overcome these threats, the Satucita Foundation has organized annual nesting patrols and tree planting to secure eggs from poaching and provide needed forage and habitat. The Satucita Foundation has also engaged in community education with over 5,000 villagers learning about the conservation needs of the Painted River Terrapin in Aceh Province, Sumatra. The educational program has led to the formation of two community groups who planted Acknowledgements: Thank yous go to BKSDA Aceh and Aceh Tamiang Local Government for their collaboration. Supporting organizations include: Turtle Survival Alliance, Turtle Conservation Fund, Pertamina EP Field Rantau, Chester Zoo, Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, and the Phoenix Zoo. Joko Gunturo records GPS coordinates of traps deployed during field surveys to monitor Painted Terrapin populations in the Tamiang River. PHOTO CREDIT: YUSRIONO a publication of the turtle survival alliance 33 visit us online at www.turtlesurvival.org
Page 1 and 2: Turtle Survival A PUBLICATION OF TH
Page 3 and 4: TURTLE SURVIVAL ALLIANCE Board of D
Page 5 and 6: ANIMAL MANAGEMENT TURTLE SURVIVAL C
Page 7 and 8: KEEPING TRACK OF RESIDENTS AND NEW
Page 9 and 10: ANIMAL MANAGEMENT Making Connection
Page 11 and 12: The Hatchling Room received a much-
Page 13 and 14: GENEROSITY IN THE LOW COUNTRY Natha
Page 15 and 16: The Turtle Survival Center (TSC) pr
Page 17 and 18: CONSERVATION NOTES Turtle Biology a
Page 19 and 20: Dina workshops in two districts: Ts
Page 21 and 22: Winning Hearts - and Respect for Ra
Page 23 and 24: RANGE COUNTRY UPDATE INDIA througho
Page 25 and 26: Adult male Northern River Terrapins
Page 27 and 28: were marked and released at the pre
Page 29 and 30: The large pond in the foreground wa
Page 31 and 32: in captivity, we initiated an exper
Page 33: lax to non-existent for many years.
Page 37 and 38: needed to facilitate egg fertilizat
Page 39 and 40: Announcing the 2nd Hicatee Conserva
Page 41 and 42: Additionally, a survey determined o
Page 43 and 44: In the field, water filtration usin
Page 45 and 46: official population count was condu
Page 47 and 48: although very low levels of illegal
Page 49 and 50: measures since 2006. In 2007, KFI
Page 51 and 52: FE ATURE TSA Develops Blueprint for
Page 53 and 54: Table 1. Species chosen by the TSA
Page 55 and 56: TSA PARTNER NEWS TURTLE CONSERVATIO
Page 57 and 58: TSA EUROPE Cuc Phuong National Park
Page 59 and 60: TSA EUROPE MUENSTER ZOO Successful
Page 61 and 62: and groups - especially if I feel I
Page 63 and 64: I heard about TSA from Scott Pfaff,
Page 65 and 66: TRYON FUND UPDATE Tryon Bog Turtle
Page 67 and 68: species. Somewhere along the way we
Page 69 and 70: a publication of the turtle surviva
Page 71 and 72: DONOR RECOGNITION Thank you for you

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