Porfell Wildlife Park is associated with an in-situ researcher. Suzanne Coombes qualified in Conservation Zoology at the University of Plymouth in 2007 and has taken part in research on the following projects:
- 2007/2008 Reptile Translocation project – Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
- 2008-present Canadian Freshwater Turtle project – University of Toronto
September 2007 – March 2008
Reptile Translocation Team Research assistant
The Telfair skink Leiolopisma telfairii is an amazing creature. It originally was only found on an island just off Mauritius called Round Island and also referred to as the Round island skink. This skink is approximately 30cm-40cm in length and is sexually diamorphic in characteristics. It eats a variety of foods from seeds (ebony fruit) through to insects and snails. With this in mind, it eats the ebony fruit and by leaving the seed in its droppings means it is indirectly contributing to the regeneration of the forest.
With the aid of an amazing herpetologist and collaboration with The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, these creatures were within an island translocation plan to move them and other species to other islands to establish self sustaining populations. The purpose for doing this being that if a disease or natural disaster occured on the island, this species would not be the only population and they would not become extinct.
So with surveys, relocating and monitoring, we can successfully establish new populations on other islands.
Spring-late summer 2008-present
Canadian Freshwater Turtle research
There are 8 different species of Canadian freshwater turtles. These include the Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina, Painted turtle Chrysemys picta, Eastern Musk Turtle (also known as the Stinkpot Turtle) Sternotherus odoratus, Blanding's Turtle Emydoidea blandingii, Northern Map Turtle Graptemys geographica, Eastern Spiny Soft-shell Apalone spinifera, Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttata and the Wood Turtle Glyptemys insculpta.
In 2008, collaborative research was carried out by the University of Toronto in association with the Royal Ontario Museum in Southern Ontario, Canada. Several different species of turtle were collected, measured and DNA taken for a genetics and multiple paternity study setup by a PhD candidate at the university. Data from one of the research sites showed a small number of juvenile Snapping Turtles in the area which caused concern.The Painted Turtle population at the site has a healthy number of individuals varying in different sizes and ages. A low number of recruitment of juveniles to a population can lead to a 'ghost population' which can result in extirpation of a species. The Snapping Turtles legal status in Ontario is now 'Special Concern', which means there is data showing this species is in decline.
The main threats facing freshwater turtles are nest predation, human activities, pet trade, habitat fragmentation and habitat degradation. Snapping Turtles in particular have been harvested for food and commonly used in soup. This creature is particularly fatty and large in size. They also have a bad reputation for being aggressive and dangerous but from the number of Snapping Turtle that i have handled personally, i can say this is certainly not true. They do not have the ability to pull their limbs into their shell so facing any predator that is approaching and opening its mouth is their defense. They are slow creatures on land too, they find it difficult to run away.
The main threat posed to this particular Snapping Turtle population is nest predation. Nests are predated by various animals such as skunks, raccoons, mink, coyotes and even birds and snakes. The culprits predating on these nests were mainly raccoons. Their numbers were augmented by the provision of food from visitors and campers staying in the park. In response to this, a headstart project was initiated and with permits researchers were able to collect eggs, incubate them in ex-situ conditions, mark and release them back into the wild. This year (2010), whilst surveying the river, hatchlings from the headstart in 2009 were found. This shows us that the project is a success and the hatchlings are hibernating and surviving.
Publications:
Davy, Christina M., Kum C. Shim, and Suzanne M. Coombes. 2009. Leech (Annelida: Hirudinea) infestations on Canadian turtles, including the first Canadian record of Helobdella modesta from freshwater turtles. Canadian Field-Naturalist 123(1): 000-000
Coombes, Suzanne M. and Christina M. Davy. 2010. Chelydra serpentina. Deformity. Herpetelogical Review. 41(2):213
Davy, C.M., S.M. Coombes, A.K. Whitear and A. Mackenzie. 2010 (in press). Visible Implant Elastomer: A Simple, Non-harmful Method for Marking Hatchling Turtles. Herpetological Review.