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Where Have All the Turtles Gone,and Why Does It Matter?

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Where Have All the Turtles Gone,and Why Does It Matter?

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As the only reptiles that are universally liked by people, it would be a sad world indeed to lose more of these iconic and remarkable survivors from the mists of deep evolutionary time.

They survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary cataclysm that wiped out the dinosaurs. Will they survive us in the Anthropocene?

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How an ‘extinct’ tortoise was rediscovered after a century

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How an ‘extinct’ tortoise was rediscovered after a century

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When Washington Tapia found a Fernandina giant tortoise on its namesake island in the Galápagos, it was like winning an Academy Award.

"For me it was the most important achievement of my life because I have been working on tortoise conservation for 30 years," says the director of the nonprofit Galápagos Conservancy's Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative (GTRI) and leader of the expedition. "This was basically my Oscar."

Tapia and a team of four rangers from the Galápagos National Park-Jeffreys Malaga, Eduardo Vilema, Roberto Ballesteros, and Simon Villamar-
plus Forrest Galante, a host and biologist with Animal Planet, which funded the expedition, were overwhelmed when they found the female Chelonoidis phantasticus on Fernandina, an active shield volcano and the youngest of the Galápagos Islands.

The last time a confirmed sighting of the species was registered was in 1906. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had flagged the Fernandina giant tortoise on its Red List as possibly extinct until 2017, two years after Malaga came across the reptile's feces in the park and three years after the inauguration of the GTRI. Its designation was then changed to critically endangered.

"It was a clear indication the tortoises were still there," Tapia says.

On this particular Sunday, February 17, the team set out at 6 a.m. in search of green patches among the island's innumerable lava flows. It wasn't until around midday that they spotted possible tortoise feces on a patch measuring about a third of a square mile. When Tapia saw a tortoise bed-soil had been pushed aside and there were clear prints in the dirt from its carapace and feet-he knew they were close. Malaga was the first to spot the tortoise-at first, nearly 2.5 miles away and blending into a patch of vegetation-but it was a triumph for the whole team.

"It created hope for people to know conservation is possible and that changing human activities is necessary for it to continue," Tapia said.

The female tortoise, thought to be roughly 100 years old, was taken by the team to a breeding center on Santa Cruz Island, a decision Tapia made because the area where she had been living had few food sources nearby, and, if left on Fernandina, finding her again would have been difficult. Tortoises tend to move around a lot, and the island, at over 230 square miles, is a large area to search. Its rugged terrain, caused by abundant lava flows, makes locating animals a challenge.

But Tapia and his team do expect to find more. During this search of Fernandina, they came across more tortoise tracks in soil just over a mile from where they discovered the female. The te4am is planning another expedition to the island later this year.

In the meantime, they'll take DNA samples from the female tortoise and send them to Yale University, where giant tortoise specialists are located, to confirm she is a Chelonoidis phantasticus. The process could take months, but Tapia has no doubts she's the real thing.

When others are found, he hopes to be able to restore the population's numbers and return them to their natural habitat. Tortoises can live to be 200 years old, so despite her advanced age, the female tortoise still has plenty of time to help her species make a comeback. ( These are six of the longest-lived animals.)

This isn't the first time conservation and breeding efforts were made to bring a critically endangered population of Galápagos tortoises back to the islands. The Galápagos Conservancy has raised more than 7,000 tortoises in captivity that were then released into the wild, bringing them back from the brink of extinction. One species from Española Island was down to just 14 tortoises when breeding efforts began. Now, the population has reached over 1,000.

A total of 15 species of Galápagos tortoises have been identified in the Galápagos-two have gone extinct and 12 are threatened with extinction. (The fifteenth is also extinct, but it's not always included on official lists because it was never formally described). (Read about Lonesome George, the last of the Pinta Island tortoises.)

But for Tapia, the discovery of the Fernandina giant tortoise is more than just the return of a species.

"Tortoises in the Galápagos are like ecosystem engineers," he said. "They contribute to seed dispersal and mold the ecosystem. That ecological role is so important."

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How an 'extinct' tortoise was rediscovered after a century's absence

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When Washington Tapia found a Fernandina giant tortoise on its namesake island in the Galápagos, it was like winning an Academy Award. "For me it was the most important achievement of my life because I have been working on tortoise conservation for 30 years," says the director of the nonprofit Galápagos Conservancy's Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative (GTRI) and leader of the expedition.

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The unstoppable increase of the human population (since the 19th century) has generated great impacts on biodiversity such as: habitat loss, biodiversity loss, species extinction/ narrow genetic pool, altered species interaction, and even, humans have been affected too.Therefore, governments and international communities need to react to humanity's impact on biodiversity.

Amphibians and reptiles have very important functions in the ecosystems, although they are generally undervalued and poorly documented. These include their multiple role in the trophic chain and their functions as commensals, seed dispersers, pollinators, crop pest regulators and to the flow of energy and matter between environments. Furthermore they are considered great bioindicators of health and environmental quality. The fact that these animals have low mobility and smaller distribution areas, makes them even more vulnerable to many anthropogenic threats and for that they are an important key factors in biodiversity evaluation.

One way to evaluate the possible species decline, regarding amphibians and reptiles, is by updating the Red List of IUCN. Research is needed to evaluate the impact level in which anthropogenic factors on the Herpetofauna biodiversity. Current results are showing that they are in decline. How can governments and NGOs react to this? T react, politics need to know what are the factors causing this decline in biodiversity and how they are affecting it. This is where science kicks in by building experiments and researching how they affect biodiversity.

Photo Taken from: European Red List, 2018

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We reached 8,000 species of amphibians worldwide!

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A behavior as simple as taking water and in this snake looks sublime....

...These calmed but poisonous animals have few cases of human bites.

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Ver un bicho de estos tomando agua es una cosa indescriptible, es una cuestión de percepción a mi me parecen hermosas, a muchos espantosas, no intento convencerlos de que las quieran como yo pero si...

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Beyond its ecological importance, amphibians and reptiles teach us that perfection exists. They show us their evolutionary desires and even so, what we know of them is incipient...

...Although this section is to talk about its anthropogenic threats, we can not ignore how wonderful these taxa are! :)

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Tortuga Matamata Documental (Chelus fimbriatus)

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Fluorescence discovered in tiny Brazilian frogs

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Fluorescence discovered in tiny Brazilian frogs

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This species does not occur in any of the three countries discussed here, but this incredible news has to be shared.

https://phys.org/news/2019-03-fluorescence-tiny-brazilian-frogs.html?fbclid=IwAR3AAelkP7_S8eVGcGsu0OaOua1tt2rA59oPl-i_kbOhW2WyHuPc6ao0Wtw

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Fluorescence Discovered in Tiny Brazilian Frogs

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Brief Summary of the Herpetofauna Biodiversity in Greece, Switzerland and Colombia. 

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Brief Summary of the Herpetofauna Biodiversity in Greece, Switzerland and Colombia. 

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The herpetofauna of Greece is consisted of frogs and toads, salamanders and newts (Amphibians), tortoises and turtles, lizards, snakes and amphisbaenia (Reptiles). Greek herpetofauna hosts 27% and 38% of all Europe’s amphibians and reptiles respectively. A total of 4 amphibian and 7 reptile species were included in one of the IUCN risk categories while 13% of Greece’s reptiles were rated as Near Threatened.

Switzerland on the other hand, has a rather small proportion of amphibians and reptiles. 17 amphibian and 14 reptile species have been listed. 75% of each group is on the Red List in Switzerland. Thus, the diversity is threatened, mainly due to climate change and human activity. It has a total area of 41’000km2, making it one of the smallest countries. However, density ranks this country higher. Therefore, the anthropogenic pressure is highly present in Switzerland.

Colombia is the second and  third country with the greatest diversity of amphibians and reptiles, respectively. Because of their morphology and life histories, both taxa are susceptible to any change in an ecosystem no matter how small. At present, the diversity of amphibians of Colombia is critically threatened, reaching the point of occupying the first place in the world with 261 species categorized in some type of vulnerability to extinction. On the other hand, reptiles have not been categorized so far to know their threat status, except for 25 charismatic and well-known species within the group of turtles and crocodilians.

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Currently challenges concerning the topic

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Currently challenges concerning the topic

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The alteration of ecosystems will affect greatly human populations in many ways. We are still unable to act upon this threat to the herpetofauna biodiversity due to the fact that as a scientific community and even as citizens, we are facing many challenges.
There are several factors affecting the herpetofauna :

Deforestation is particularly marked in areas adjacent to urban centers, roads and rivers. However, the most remote or protected areas are showing signs of human pressure, especially where high-quality wood trees are found. The deforestation (Terrible plague of our time) devastates the forests and jungles of the Earth in a massive way causing an immense damage to the quality of the soils. Not all deforestation is a consequence of intentionality. Some are caused by human and natural factors such as forest fires and intensive grazing, which can inhibit the growth of new tree shoots.

Roads are a huge barrier for the herpetofauna, as they often isolate breeding or feeding sites. Mortality of Amphibians and reptiles on highway is common. Transportation is acting as an ecological trap and is responsible for a significant part of the total mortality of reptiles.  Some of the main ecological effects that roads have on wildlife are (a) an increase in habitat loss and fragmentation, (b) degradation of habitat quality adjacent to the road, (c) changes in the composition and structure of communities due to colonisation by invasive or generalist species, and (d) direct effects due to mortality resulting from collisions of vehicles with wildlife. In many cases the road mortality can be used as a way to measure population sizes, activity of a species or track the location of breeding sites during the breeding season when the movement between sites and the activity of many species reach its peak (and so does the mortality).

Dam construction destabilises the environmental balance of an area and alter the parameters that are directly correlated with the preservation and development of protected wetlands and fragile ecosystems. Dam construction prevents the communication of species upstream and downstream of the dam. Many amphibian and reptiles species are trapped in one side of the dam and they usually cannot pass it by and have access to resources. Unfortunately dams, as well as roads, are often constructed without an environmental study.

Tourism plays an important role in the economy of countries. Unfortunately, it is not done in a responsible and eco-friendly way. For example, sea turtles cannot lay their eggs at beaches because they are too crowded and dangerous for both the turtles and the eggs. Moreover the lights across the beach can lead to disorientation of the young, after they are hatched, because the light at night is a compass towards the sea for them.

Intensive farming & agriculture are associated with the increased use of fertilisers and pesticides. Pesticides, insecticides and chemicals pollute the water, bioaccumulate on the skin of certain reptiles (such as freshwater turtles), penetrate into the permeable skin of the amphibians and lead to embryonic developmental disturbance, morbidity (weakness of the immune system and diseases) and sex alteration. Moreover, agriculture has led to draining alluvial zones (intense habitat loss) and habitat fragmentation.

Forest fires are huge problems and real estate speculation and building land reclamation are the main motives for arson. Fires have caused a huge habitat loss over the last decades and along with this, herpetofauna loss. Herpetofauna species do not have effective escape mechanisms and their distribution areas are small, which makes them more vulnerable to this type of impact and may even reach extinction in particular areas.

Fracking (the most devastating and recent environmental problem in Colombia, possible threat in Greece also)

Transformation of natural habitats and ecosystems and/or destruction of wetlands and páramo areas (especially for agriculture, expansive livestock and mining)

Hydroelectricity (between environmental impact and development)

Pollution (environmental, light, acoustic, chemical, garbage...). This is mainly driven by urban and Industrial expansion.

Overall, the main aspects of this report are the current threats to Herpetofauna biodiversity and what we, both as scientists and citizens, can do about them. In addition, there are very few eco-friendly politicians who will prioritize environment-friendly tactics.

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Rethink and replan the mining-energy policy according to the capabilities of each territory.

Εnergy saving strategies should be promoted, as citizens and as a state.

Production and use of renewable energies should be promoted.

Deforestation in National Natural Parks must be controlled and limited.

Speed radars in areas with the highest traffic levels should be installed, also create paths, under the surface or above the roads for wildlife.

Advisories should be posted to warn drivers of the risks of colliding with wildlife species on the highway.

Artificial light that is visible from nesting beaches must be reduced (to reduce light pollution).

Environmental studies must be carried out by experts concerning habitat alteration (road and dam construction, lake drainage, development of recreational beaches, etc.).

Alternatives as ecotourism and traditional farming & agriculture must be promoted.

The protected areas should be actively protected and laws and treaties should be observed.

More firefighters and forest rangers, vets and other experts on wildlife must be hired, in order for natural disasters to be avoided.

Emphasis must be given in education: Young people should learn for both herpetofauna and the anthropogenic environmental threats it faces. Educational  programs should be carried out to raise awareness both on adults and children.

Society could promote volunteering. Any time a disaster happens volunteers can help overcome it (e.g. volunteers can hospitalize injured reptiles and amphibians after a forest fire).

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Similarities & differences among 3 HerpetoAreas

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Similarities & differences among 3 HerpetoAreas

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The three herpetoAreas examined, are different: Greece and Switzerland are in Europe, but Greece is a Mediterranean country, while Switzerland is located in Central Europe and in higher altitudes. Colombia is a rather tropical country in the northwest of South America. Their herpetofauna biodiversity varies with Switzerland having fewer and Colombia having many more reptile and amphibian species than Greece. In all the cases the herpetofauna faces serious threats with habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation due to human activities being the most important threats but for different reasons.

Road construction, a crucial human activity for communication and transportation is present in all the three cases. It leads to road killing and fragmentation. Intensive agriculture is also an important activity in order for the growing human populations to survive. It leads to water pollution, species weakness, diseases and deaths. Touristic activities, forest fires and different ways of habitat alteration (e.g. fracking, deforestation, drainage of water bodies, dam construction) are threats that differ from country to country.

No matter what the threats are, we all agree that the most effective measure in order to decrease the pressure on herpetofauna is education. Both adults and young people need to tap into their environmental consciousness. When this happens, pollution, non-environmental sources of energy, non-environmental friendly politicians will no more exist in such an extent. More people will be knowledgeable about the threats the environment and the herpetofauna face and they will hopefully lead a more eco friendly lifestyle. With more eco-friendly politicians more studies would be funded. Education will promote volunteering amongst citizens.

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Between Greece, Switzerland and Colombia, one can indicate many differences regarding geography, biodiversity, climate, culture and history. But as we were creating this report we found out about the many similarities those 3 countries have, more specifically, the similarities regarding the Herpetofauna threats. There were repeatedly references regarding the inability of politician’s dealing with environmental threats and the low level of education in schools and amongst citizens about the environment, climate change and how all those factors will affect human populations.

As mentioned above, there are many things we could do to minimise all those threats, but in the end, the root of the problem is education. We should educate ourselves on what a state can do about it’s country’s environment, demand those changes and be able to elect the right candidates. The state will consequently provide better education in schools, fund studies, promote volunteering and lead the country to a lifestyle change, more eco-friendly, more conscious about the changing environment and how it will affect us.

Reptiles and amphibians are great indicators of environmental distraction. Their permeable skin, easily affected by man-made chemicals, their inability to travel great distances and flee from danger, their crucial role in ecosystems should be studied extensively, thus providing us with a brand new dataset, different from the ones we get from studying mammals and birds. And on the flip side, reptiles have been shown to be able to survive in deserts, with little to no food and water and they have showed how well adapted they are to an ever changing environment. Maybe those studies could give us an idea of how we, as humans, will be able to survive on a not-so-hospitable planet in the future.

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Coffin, A. W. (2007). From roadkill to road ecology: a review of the ecological effects of roads. Journal of transport Geography, 15(5), 396-406.

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Urbina-Cardona, J. N. (2016). Gradientes andinos en la diversidad y patrones de endemismo en anfibios y reptiles de Colombia: Posibles respuestas al cambio climático. Revista Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, 7(1), 74-91.

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Title: How anthropogenetic environmental factors harm the herpetofauna of HerpetoAreas.

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Title: How anthropogenetic environmental factors harm the herpetofauna of HerpetoAreas.

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Authors:

Marley T. Gómez-Rincón, Herpetologist, University of Antioquia, Herpetological Group of Antioquia (GHA in Spanish), Colombia

Angeliki Chatzitheofanous, Undergraduate student, Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece

Olga Grizi, Undergraduate Student, Department of Biological Applications & Technology, University of Ioannina, Greece

Sami Zhioua, Master Student, Department of Eco-ethology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Chamzin Elpida, Undergraduate student, Department of Biology, University of Athens, Greece

Date: 30/3/2019

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Humans have been shaping their environment which led to fauna and flora extinction. In this report, we study the effects of anthropogenic activities that lead to the decline of the herpetofauna diversity. Loss, fragmentation and degradation of habitat, pollution, irresponsible tourism, among other threats, act synergistically and strongly affect the structure and function of ecosystems. Discovering the main challenges to put an end to this upcoming mass extinction, we propose strategies that allow us to raise environmental awareness and promote the conservation of these charismatic and important taxa.

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Pic 1: Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon.

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Pic 1: Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon.

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Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests

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Pic 4: Roads as a threat for amphibians, Switzerland

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Pic 4: Roads as a threat for amphibians, Switzerland

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Pic 8: Excess of tourists and illegal hotels threaten nature

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Pic 8: Excess of tourists and illegal hotels threaten nature

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Pic 9: Tourism: Recreational beach, Greece

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Pic 9: Tourism: Recreational beach, Greece

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Pic 10: Intensive agriculture: Pesticides

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Pic 10: Intensive agriculture: Pesticides

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Pic 11: Habitat loss due to forest fire 

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Pic 11: Habitat loss due to forest fire 

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Pic 12: Carcass of burnt snake, Peloponnese, 2007 

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Pic 12: Carcass of burnt snake, Peloponnese, 2007 

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Pic 13: Carcass of burnt turtle, Athens, 2018 

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Pic 13: Carcass of burnt turtle, Athens, 2018 

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Organizaciones de la sociedad civil enviaron una comunicación a Léo Heller, Relator Especial de Naciones Unidas sobre los derechos al agua potable y al saneamiento en Colombia.

En ella alertan que ambos derechos están en grave riesgo ante la intención de implementar proyectos mineros dañinos en o cerca del páramo, fuente de agua para más de diez municipios y 3 ciudades principales. Solicitan que el Relator elabore un informe sobre el caso, visite el sitio y medie para que el Estado colombiano proteja ese ecosistema.

"Acciones y omisiones del Estado han permitido el avance de proyectos mineros que amenazan la disponibilidad y calidad del agua que provee el páramo. La delimitación del sitio no incluyó todo el ecosistema, dejando desprotegida una parte del mismo, y no contó con participación ciudadana, por lo que la Corte Constitucional dispuso que se realice de nuevo".

La petición, firmada por el Comité para la Defensa del Agua y el Páramo de Santurbán, Indepaz, Mining Watch Canadá y CIEL (Center for International Environmental Law), se refiere al proyecto de delimitación de páramos que la Corte Constitucional tumbó en 2017, y que dio pie para una nueva polémica sobre dónde comienza y termina un ecosistema, qué es un páramo y qué debería el gobierno colombiano hacer en él.

Como contó El Espectador, Santurbán se convirtió en una especie de laboratorio para resolver el conflicto entre minería y conservación. Tanto así que, tras esa nueva delimitación, sumado al fallo de la Corte Constitucional que prohibió cualquier actividad extractiva o minera en páramos, el proyecto Angostura, de la canadiense Eco Gold, tuvo que salir de allí. Eco Gold reclamó ante el Banco Mundial una compensación por parte de Colombia por los daños que había sufrido con esta serie de decisiones. (Nueva delimitación de Santurbán será socializada en enero)

En el documento enviado a las Naciones Unidas se detalla el proceso de delimitación de Santurbán, la importancia de ese entorno para el disfrute del derecho al agua en Colombia, el marco legal para la protección de los páramos en el país, el desarrollo de proyectos en o cerca del sitio, así como los impactos o amenazas ambientales asociadas: disminución de la calidady cantidad del agua, contaminación por el uso de explosivos, disminución de la calidad del aire, aumento del nivel de ruido y pérdida permanente de hábitats, entre otros.

"V arias empresas mineras han intentado desde hace más de 15 años extraer oro del páramo de Santurbán, ecosistema frágil y estratégico que provee de agua a millones de personas en Colombia. Algunas de ellas son compañías canadienses que están acudiendo a arbitrajes contra el gobierno de Colombia, para demandar enormes sumas de dinero", dicen las organizaciones. (Le puede interesar: Las turbulencias de Santurbán)

Las organizaciones piden al Relator monitorear la situación del páramo de Santurbán y urgir al Estado colombiano a cumplir sus obligaciones internacionales en relación con el derecho al agua.

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Piden a la ONU intervenir para proteger el páramo de Santurbán | ELESPECTADOR.COM

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Organizaciones de la sociedad civil solicitaron que el Relator Especial de Naciones Unidas sobre los derechos al agua potable y al saneamiento elabore un informe sobre el caso, visite el sitio y medie para que el Estado colombiano adopten las acciones necesarias para proteger el ecosistema.

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Pic 16: Lake drainage, Lake Karla, Greece

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Pic 16: Lake drainage, Lake Karla, Greece

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Pic 17: Hydroelectricity in Colombia: between environmental impact and development

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Pic 17: Hydroelectricity in Colombia: between environmental impact and development

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Vid. 1: Light Pollution Harms Sea Turtles

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Vid. 1: Light Pollution Harms Sea Turtles