Indotestudo Births Mark
New Beginning for Rescued Turtles
On December 9, 1999, one of the project’s female elongated tortoises (Indotestudo elongata) chose a patch of sunny ground during the late afternoon hours and began digging a shallow nest. This tortoise was one of approximately 480 Indotestudo that had been confiscated by Ninh Binh rangers in August 1998. She was also the first of the Turtle Conservation and Ecology Project’s (TCEP) tortoises to breed in captivity. The female deposited two large eggs in the hole and covered the nest with dirt. The eggs were later moved to a secure environment where they spent 139 days incubating. During the late evening of April 25, project staff were amazed to see the nose of one of the hatchling tortoises breaking through the shell of its egg. By 4:00 P.M. the next day, the first of two hatchlings had emerged entirely, the second egg hatching four days later (143 days). Both hatchlings promptly took to eating and are growing rapidly in captivity.
The first of two Indotestudo elongata hatch after 139 days in incubation. Eggs were laid in December 1999 by a tortoise
that was rescued from the trade in August 1998.
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The turtle births mark the first such known breeding in captivity of this species in Vietnam, and an important step forward for the TCEP’s fledgling breeding program. Since early March, breeding and nesting by several other species has resulted in additional eggs being laid in captivity, including those from Cuora galbinifrons and Cyclemys pulchristriata, all currently in incubation.
The TCEP aims to establish a captive breeding population for seven of Vietnam’s 22 turtle species and initiate a headstart program for certain species that will supplement the project’s planned translocation efforts. Translocation and headstart sites will be selected based on habitat requirements, native range, potential impacts on existing populations, and the historic level of “genetic disturbance” (i.e., previous releases in the area that may have compromised the genetic composition of local populations).
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The Adventures
of Lucky Turtle
New publication to help raise public awareness about the ecology and threats to Vietnam’s turtles
A new educational resource for children focusing on conservation and protection of Vietnam's turtles was printed and released by the project in May. The Adventures of Lucky Turtles, a three-part illustrated children's story, depicts a forest turtle that is caught by hunters and sold to an evil trader, only to escape while being shipped to China with a truck full of other animals. “Lucky” must (of course) try to find his way home, wary of the dangers that lurk on the road ahead.
The new series is presently being used in the community-based conservation education program, but will also be included in an educational package, focusing on turtle conservation and protection, being developed for distribution to other education projects at protected areas in Vietnam. Special thanks to the Columbus Zoo (USA) for supporting the development of this important resource.
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