The distinctive Myanmar roofed turtle, once thought extinct, is making a comeback in its native waters.
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You can't keep a good turtle down, as the Myanmar roofed turtle (Batagur trivittata) is proving in its native land.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced that 60 of the distinctive creature with the upturned nose have been released into the wild on the riverbanks of Myanmar.
The turtle, today considered the second-most critically endangered species of turtle in the world, according to the WCS, was once thought extinct until it was rediscovered in 2001.
In 2007 the WCS and the Turtle Survival Alliance teamed on a program to raise the animals in captivity, using eggs collected from the wild, in an effort to protect the species until its numbers grew large enough to repopulate in the wild.
The program was a success, so much so that a special facility in Linpha Village was built to house and raise the turtles, which now number more than 300 individuals.
"This is the first chapter of a longer story yet to be written," said WCS Regional Herpetologist Dr. Steven Platt, during a ceremony honoring the release of the 60 turtles into the wild. "It’s one that will hopefully see the Myanmar roofed turtle restored as a functional member of this remote riverine landscape."
The 60 turtles had to meet certain criteria in order to return to the wild, primary among them that they be big enough and strong enough to fend off attacks from large fish, wading birds, and monitor lizards. It takes until age 7 for the turtles to reach that mark.
Some of the released turtles will be tracked from radio transmitters on their upper shells, according to the WCS. Researchers plan to keep an eye on their progress and monitor their nests to try to keep eggs safe from predators.
Meanwhile, WCS said another 100 turtles have been transferred to a facility in a separate village, where they will form a second captive-breeding group.
Source:http://news.discovery.com/animals/endangered-species/rare-myanmar-roofed-turtles-mounting-a-comeback-150415.htm
