-WILDLIFE BIOLOGY LAB @UWS-
Establishment of an Insurance Population for the Manning River Helmeted Turtle - Myuchelys purvisi
The Manning River Helmeted Turtle (MRHT) Myuchelys purvisi has recently been listed as Endangered (gazetted April 2017). The MRHT appears to have dramatically declined in numbers at some sites (J. Cann pers. comm. April 2016) and the species is believed to face a range of threats that includes predation on nests and adults, illegal collecting, habitat degradation & disease.
The proposed activity of establishing an insurance population of the Manning River Helmeted Turtle is a proactive management measure aimed at helping secure the future of the species for the next 100 years. The animals will be housed long term as an insurance population in a captive turtle facility at the Australian Reptile Park, determining best practice breeding and 'headstarting' management protocols for future conservation efforts.
The program is very similar to that at Taronga Zoo and Symbio Wildlife Park for the turtles’ ‘cousin’, the Bellinger River snapping turtle.
Head-starting Chelodina longicollis populations to overcome high predation rates
This project is part of the ARC Linkage project in partnership with the Woodlands & Wetlands Trust, aiming to undertake a head-starting program for the Eastern Long-Necked Turtle in the ACT. Our goal is to initially test the head-starting potential for turtle populations in Canberra. Our objective is to successfully supplement the turtle populations in Mulligan’s Flat and Jerrabomberra Wetlands. We will create nesting grounds inside the Sanctuary and collect hatchling turtles for release into both the Sanctuary and Jerrabombera Wetlands. The number of turtles inside the Sanctuary has recently increased by 600 individuals due to the ACT community Turtle Patrol. Hatchling turtles will be radio-tracked to assess survival in both locations. Follow up turtle survey monitoring will occur at both locations.
