Great News for Batagur!

Turtle tracks on the beach of the Chindwin River, Myanmar

The nesting season for wild Asian river terrapins (Batagur) is winding down, just on the heels of the recently completed Batagur workshop in Singapore and Malaysia in February, and we hope that the training will have an impact on hatching success.

In Myanmar, Kalyar Platt (TSA Turtle Conservation Coordinator) just returned from the upper Chindwin River where she worked with field coordinator Kyaw Moe on the nest protection and egg recovery effort for the critically endangered Burmese roof turtle (Batagur trivittata). They report that in this 2010-2011 nesting season, nesting occurred as early as 9 December 2010 and continued through 26 March 2011. During this period, a total of 179 eggs were recovered for incubation. Approximately six to nine females were thought to have nested along a 48-mile stretch of the river.

We also have incredible news in Bangladesh, where we have been working hard to secure a breeding group of Sundarbans river terrapins (Batagur baska) - one of Asia's most threatened large river turtles. Rashid, our colleague with CARINAM, reports that on the night of April 1, under a new moon, the female Batagur nested! Click here to read the full story on both of these very threatened species.

TSA Board Members Visit Myanmar

Juvenile Burmese star tortoises at Lawkananda

From January 2009 to September 2010, TSA teams worked in Myanmar to develop concepts and designs for new breeding facilities for key chelonian program species. Building plans and budgets for new turtle and tortoise facilities were finalized in September 2010 and construction got underway shortly thereafter. Members of the TSA Board of Directors visited Lawkananda Park in Bagan, Myanmar to inspect one of the newest facilities in February.

The new facilities offer not only increased space, but increased security, for some of the rarest turtles and tortoises in Myanmar. Click here to read the story of their visit and to see pictures of the facility.

TSA Africa Moves Into a New Office

Tomas Diagne at the new TSA office in Senegal

Congratulations to Tomas Diagne (Director, TSA Africa) on opening the new TSA office in Dakar, Senegal. The main mission of TSA Africa is to build a solid and effective network to answer the conservation challenges of threatened African terrestrial and freshwater turtles. The conservation of these species will include the protection of necessary habitats and the taking into account of the needs for the local populations which coexist with these species in their daily life.

Animals Available

2.0 Indian star tortoises (Geochelone elegans) are available for adoption. Both were captive bred in 2000. Adoption fee is $200, plus shipping.
 
1.2 Serrated hinge-back tortoises (Kinixys erosa) are available for breeding loan to an experienced recipient. We would like these to be placed with someone who has success keeping Kinixys species.

Adult (8 - 13") Malayan flat-shelled turtles (Notochelys platynota) are available for breeding loan.

Pig-nosed turtles (Carretochelys insculpta) may be available for adoption. They range in size from 8 - 12" and there would be an adoption fee associated with them. This is an informal poll to find out if there is an interest in these.
 
Please contact Cris Hagen at chagen@turtlesurvival.org for further information. As a reminder, individuals that hold TSA animals are required to maintain a current membership.