Reintroduction and head-starting: tools for blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) conservation

Published source details Buhlmann K.A., Koch S.L., Butler B.O., Tuberville T.D., Palermo V.J., Bastarache B.A. & Cava Z.A. (2015) Reintroduction and head-starting: tools for blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) conservation. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 10, 436-454.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Head-start wild-caught reptiles for release: Tortoises, terrapins, side-necked & softshell turtles Action Link
	Translocate adult or juvenile reptiles: Tortoises, terrapins, side-necked & softshell turtles Action Link

Head-start wild-caught reptiles for release: Tortoises, terrapins, side-necked & softshell turtles

A replicated study in 2006–2011 in forested wetlands in eastern Massachusetts, USA (Buhlmann et al. 2015) found that most head-started Blanding’s turtles Emydoidea blandingii survived in captivity, and after being released, some survived in the wild for at least nine months. Survivorship of head-started hatchling Blanding’s turtles in captivity was 91–100% (2006: 0 of 7 hatchlings died; 2007: 0 of 22 hatchlings died; 2008: 3 of 31 hatchlings died; 2009: 3 of 47 hatchlings died; 2010: 3 of 54 hatchlings died). One head-started turtle from 2008 lost weight when recaptured five months after release (weight at release: 164 g; five months later: 143 g) but survived a year in the wild before dying. Five head-started turtles from 2009 survived at least nine months in the wild although one of the five turtles died before the end of the first winter. In August 2006–2010, wild Blanding’s turtle hatchlings were collected for head-starting and release at a wildlife refuge (reserve size: 880 ha; 2006–2010: 161 hatchlings taken from 59 nests). Head-started turtles were maintained in aquariums/plastic containers and fed regularly (see original paper for details). Most head-started turtles were released seven months after hatching (late May, except a group in 2006 which were kept in captivity for a year). One head-started hatchling in 2008 and five in 2009 were released with radio transmitters and tracked for up to one year.

(Summarised by: Katie Sainsbury)
Translocate adult or juvenile reptiles: Tortoises, terrapins, side-necked & softshell turtles

A study in 2007–2010 in forested wetlands in eastern Massachusetts, USA (Buhlmann et al. 2015) found that at least one translocated hatchling Blanding’s turtle Emydoidea blandingii survived two years in the wild. One translocated and directly released Blanding’s turtle hatchling was incidentally recaptured two years later and had increased in size from 10g and 38 mm long at time of release (September 2008) to 105 g and 88 mm long on recapture (October 2010). In August 2007–2009, a total of 81 hatchlings from 36 nests at a source location were taken for direct release at a recipient wetlands refuge (reserve size: 880 ha).

(Summarised by: Katie Sainsbury)