Turtle Survival

TRYON FUND UPDATE
Tryon Bog Turtle Grants Awarded
Michael Ogle and Heather Lowe
Bern Tryon, who is best known for his pioneering
work with the Southern Bog Turtle (Glyptemys
muhlenbergii), passed away on May 6, 2011. However,
Bern’s 25-year commitment to the Southern
Bog Turtle is being sustained as he bequeathed
his significant herpetological library to the
TSA to create an endowment to fund bog turtle
research and conservation. Bern will forever be
remembered for his dedication and passion for
herpetology and uncompromising commitment
to turtle conservation.
We are pleased to announce two projects
have been funded by the Bern W. Tryon Bog
Turtle Conservation Fund this year. These
projects will help to further our knowledge of
this critically endangered species in the southern
portion of its range, which was of vital importance
to Bern and his vision for the long-term
conservation of the bog turtle.
The first funded proposal was from Davidson
College (Emma Rose Parker, Annalee Tutterow,
Shannon Pittman, and Michael Dorcas) titled
“Risk-analysis and Mitigation for a Criticallyendangered
Population of Bog Turtles in North
Carolina.” Although habitat degradation, loss,
and fragmentation are considered the primary
causes of Bog Turtle population declines, less
attention has been paid to other potential sources
of Bog Turtle mortality, such as trampling by
cows and predation. The lack of knowledge
concerning the severity and nature of these
alternative mortality risks limits the development
of effective management strategies. The
researchers will monitor potential predator and
cow activity using numerous game cameras set
up within and around the study site located in
the western Piedmont of North Carolina. Their
approach takes into consideration the sensitivity
of small, critically endangered populations
to mortality events and involves strategies to
minimize mortality risk.
The second funded proposal was submitted
by Carola Haas (Virginia Tech) for her project
entitled, “Recovering Information on Southwest
Virginia’s Bog Turtles: A Need for Data
Management Especially to Document Movement
History”. This grant will cover the cost of an
experienced technician to enter all the data collected
since 2009 into the Virginia Department
Bern Tryon preparing to go afield.
of Game and Inland Fisheries Bog Turtle database.
Once the database has been updated and
amended, it will be possible to report the capture
history for each individual turtle known in the
area. This information is essential for being able
to calculate survival estimates through markrecapture
analyses and to determine patterns of
movement between wetlands. Dispersal of over
2.5 km has already been reported for bog turtles
in SW Virginia, and a restored database should
allow more focused analyses to better understand
the frequency and distance of movement
among wetlands.
Thus far, Bern’s library has generated an endowment
of more than $150,000 for Bog Turtle
conservation. However, there are still a number
of wonderful books available for sale, many of
which are out of print. All proceeds from library
sales directly benefit the fund. To view the full
catalog online, please visit:
http://pondturtle.com/btlMain.html.
If you are interested in submitting a proposal
for funding in 2016, information on applying will
be distributed via the TSA, IUCN Tortoise and
Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Project Bog
Turtle, and the Herp Digest. The TSA would like
to thank the Knoxville Zoo for their efforts in
managing the grant process.
a publication of the turtle survival alliance 63 visit us online at www.turtlesurvival.org