THH Reintroduction programme in Spain

[Ozric Jonathan]

Many of us will have recently heard about the unsucessful attempt to re-settle chelonia in Italy involving the CARAPAX organisation.

In Catalonia (Spain), Hermann's tortoises have been re-introduced into an area which was previously part of their range but from which they have been eradicated by man.

The Serra de Monstant natural park has been the chosen location for the reintroduction programme and 724 tortoises have been placed there under essentially wild conditions.

If you are at all interested check out this link :

http://testudo.web.officelive.com/PR...ELATORTUE.aspx

Its in French but you can run it through google translate if you have that on your toolbar.

I'll try and find out more about it.

Although its early days for this programme its encouraging that it's being attempted. The tortoises shown are Testudo Hermanni Hermanni, which is at risk of being made extinct in the wild in the not too distant future.

Some of you will also know about the breeding centres for this subspecies in Gonfaron in mainland France and also on Corsica. There was a large release of THH on the Levant Isle, again off the French coast. That island is basically a military base so the animals will at least be safe from human predators as its heavily guarded and patrolled by the French navy. I used to have a link to a very uplifting video of this release but it's been moved.

I'm putting this info up partly as a response to the sad tale of the CARAPAX 'lake of death'.

Some groups of human beings are going to quite extraordinay lengths to try and offset the
effects of the behaviour of other groups of human beings in relation to the Hermanni Hermmanni and its got to be an encouraging sign. Even if they are swimming against the tide.

Jonathan

[Kirkie]

Thanks for posting this Jonathan, projects like this do offer a ray of hope even though the odd's are stacked up against these tortoises now.

Ironically it's their work with the reintroduction of regional THH that Carapax were once so focused on and applauded for.

[Ozric Jonathan]

I found another fragment about this and apparently the wild boars are quite a menace to the tortoise and nests. My first thought was that a few shotguns might come in handy to sort them out but I'm sure it's all so much more complex than that.

Dave do you have any links to any info on the past CARAPAX work with this subspecies - I'd be interetsed in following it up.

[Alan1]

are there different sub species of THH, are the original Catalonian ones the same as the French ones?
I would have liked to have had THH

[egyptiandan64]

There are different genetic groups within the T.h.hermanni subspecies Alan. Yes the ones from Spain are a bit different geneticly from the other populations of T.h.hermanni.

Danny

[Kirkie]

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

I found another fragment about this and apparently the wild boars are quite a menace to the tortoise and nests. My first thought was that a few shotguns might come in handy to sort them out but I'm sure it's all so much more complex than that.

Dave do you have any links to any info on the past CARAPAX work with this subspecies - I'd be interetsed in following it up.

Theres a brief history on their website www.carapax.org The sites changed a bit, I have a copy of the old reintroducion timelines and locations which went like this:

Albania ***
Coastal areas: Testudo hermanni boettgeri

España ****
Cataluña: Parque regional del GarafÃ*a, Delta del Ebre: Testudo hermanni hermanni

Gerona: Testudo hermanni hermanni, Emys orbicularis

Valencia: Desert des Palmas (Valencia): Testudo hermanni hermanni

Islas Baleares: Testudo hermanni hermanni, Testudo graeca graeca
Murcia: Testudo graeca graeca

France *****
Provence: Massif des Maures, Parc National de l'Ile de Levant: Testudo hermanni hermanni

Corsica: Testudo hermanni hermanni
Bourgogne: Emys orbicularis orbicularis

Greece *****
Epirus & West Coast: boettgeri Testudo hermanni, Testudo marginata,
Emys orbicularis, Mauremys rivulata.

Pelopponesus: Testudo marginata

Macedonia: boettgeri Testudo hermanni, Testudo graeca REEDOM

Evia: Nature Reserve: Testudo hermanni boettgeri, Mauremys rivulata

Attica: Protected area of Cap Sounion: Testudo marginata
Italy *****

Liguria: Park dell'Isola of Gallinara: Testudo hermanni hermanni

Sydney: Groane Park, South Park dell'Adda: Emys orbicularis orbicularis
Veneto: Park Forest Nordio, Laguna Veneta: Emys orbicularis orbicularis
Tuscany: Parco di Montioni, including estates and private oasis: Testudo hermanni hermanni

Park Hills metal, including the land and kept CFS private T hermanni hermanni, Emys orbicularis galloitalica. Oasi and state reserves.
Gulf of Follonica, Castiglione della Pescaia: Caretta caretta
National Park of the Tuscan: Testudo hermanni hermanni, Caretta caretta.
Lazio: coastal oasis: Testudo hermanni hermanni

Sardinia: oases and parks: Testudo marginata, Testudo hermanni hermanni, Testudo graeca nabeulensis.

Sicily: Etna Park: Testudo hermanni hermanni

Maroc *
Parc National de Toubcal: Testudo graeca graeca

Senegal **
Center de Noflaye, Parc National du Ferla: Geochelone sulcata senegalensis

Tunes ****
Parc National de Boukornine: Testudo graeca nabeulensis

Legend:
*: Up to 50 animals released
**: 50 to 100 animals released
***: Between 100 and 250 animals released
****: Between 250 and 500 animals released
*****: Freed more than 1,000 animals

Many Mediterranean turtles (and not) were sent from various European countries in the European Center Carapax for a life more 'natural, to be included in breeding programs. In some cases, to be released in nature (Mediterranean species of known origin). They officially come from all over Europe, from sister associations, rehabilitation centers and authorities: Austria *, Belgium ** ****, Czech republic, Denmark *, Germany **, Spain **, ** France, Great Britain * **, * Greece, Malta **, ****, Nederland Poland *, Portugal *, Switzerland *, Tunisia *.


In the chapter on conservation in Holder Vetters book on Hermanns tortoises, I believe there is a paragrapgh or two on Carapax's work with THH reintroductions. Sorry I don't have my copy to hand to confirm this.

[Ozric Jonathan]

Hi Alan there are regional variations that form identiable sub types but these would not be thought of us as sub species. Not everyone even accepts that the Hermanni Hermanni is a subspecies but I think most do. The fact is that the tortoises that originated in different areas look different to each other. The French recognise the type they call Corse (ie Corsican) and Varioise (from the Var region on the mainland). The Italian ones are different again. THH still live on the Baleric Islands and its thought these came from somewhere and are not the same as the Spanish mainlnd ones but the person who knows about all this is Hermanni Chris as he now has several breeding groups from different parts of the range.

Boetgerri seem to vary a lot but I don't know if they can be identified as having orignated from a specific area.

[Alan1]

Aye ah saw his photies. thanks.

and thanks dan

[Ozric Jonathan]

Thanks Dave I'll check my copy of Vetter. I have heard elsewhere that they ended up distributing tortoises all over the place that did not have a genetic base for the area they were released in and this does seem like a recipe for problems apart from changing the gene pool of any 'wild' ones still around that might breed with these reintroductions.

[Ozric Jonathan]

Alan if you are still following this, Chris got even more new THH after his last photos and those were a different variation again so he's cornered the market in this subspecies. I think he's so busy with all these different groups of THH he never gets to look on here these days!