http://turtleconservancy.org/
Paul M. Gibbons, DVM, MS, DABVP (Avian; Reptile & Amphibian)
Managing Director
Turtle Conservancy Behler Chelonian Center
Ventura County, California
Gary Veserat (EIMI) and Paul Gibbons (Turtle Conservancy) use the IBEX Pro
Researchers at the Turtle Conservancy http://turtleconservancy.org are eager to begin documenting the reproductive physiology of some of the world’s most endangered species. Since 2005, the Turtle Conservancy, an AZA-Certified non-profit conservation organization, has been quietly managing an ex situ assurance colony of tortoises and freshwater turtles at the Behler Chelonian Center in the foothills of the Los Padres National Forest in Southern California. Notable breeding successes have included Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), Flat-tailed Tortoise (Pyxis planicauda), Spider Tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides), Burmese Star Tortoise (Geochelone platynota), Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle (Cuora trifasciata), Impressed Tortoise (Manoria impressa), Burmese Black Mountain Tortoise (Manouria emys phayrei), and Forsten’s Tortoise (Indotestudo forstenii).
Gary Veserat (EIMI) and Paul Gibbons (Turtle Conservancy) use the IBEX Pro
Most recently, the Turtle Conservancy received 10 Ploughshare Tortoises that were confiscated from illegal animal traffickers in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the first legally imported since the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) was enacted in 1973. This Critically Endangered species is listed on Appendix I of CITES, and is at extreme risk of becoming Extinct in the Wild within less than 10 years. Intense pressure on the wild population includes habitat destruction and heavy poaching, with a surprising number of animals taken from the closely-guarded wild population for the illegal international pet trade. Restoration of a viable wild population will require augmentation from captive breeding because Ploughshare Tortoises require decades to reach sexual maturity, produce few offspring, and lose many hatchlings to predation each year.
Gary Veserat (EIMI) and Paul Gibbons (Turtle Conservancy) use the IBEX Pro
Zoological facilities and professional breeders outside of Madagascar have previously been unable to meet the challenge of establish an ex situ breeding colony of Ploughshare Tortoises. To improve captive breeding success, Turtle Conservancy researchers chose the EIMI (E.I. Medical Imaging) Ibex Pro because it will excel both in a controlled zoological setting and in the field. The waterproof housing, swappable battery, and virtually unlimited flash memory provide the best available combination of features needed to study the unique reproductive physiology of the Ploughshare Tortoise and how it compares to its closest relative, the Radiated Tortoise. Research will be directed toward developing a successful captive breeding program, and the knowledge will be applied to maximize the reproductive capacity of the few remaining adult wild tortoises in Madagascar.
The Turtle Conservancy needs your help to fund the purchase of the EIMI Ibex Pro. Learn more about the Turtle Conservancy’s mission to protect endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles from extinction at http://turtleconservancy.org.
