field expeditions — Southwest cambodia

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Giant River Terrapin (Batagur baska)

A key focal species of the survey was the Giant River Terrapin (sometimes called the Batagur, Giant River Turtle, the River Terrapin, Mangrove Terrapin or in Cambodia, the Royal Turtle), Batagur baska, a Critically Endangered (IUCN, 2008) species that has been extirpated from the majority of its range. A new study has separated Batagur baska into two separate species, the other of which is Batagur affinis, however it is unclear which species the Cambodian populations represent, hence they continue to be referred here to Batagur baska (Praschag et al., 2008). The status of Giant River Terrapin in Cambodia was recently reviewed following the rediscovery of populations on the Sre Ambel and Stoeng Kaaong rivers, and possibly other small tributaries of the Sre Ambel River system, which flows into the Kampong Saom Bay (Holloway, 2003; Platt, 2003). This is the only known population from Cambodia, and the only one remaining in all of former Indochina.

GWC targeted survey efforts on this species, in collaboration with turtle experts from WCS and CI. We were remarkably able to obtain a yearling Giant River Terrapin, recently captured by local villagers, from a river, the Stoeng Chi-pat, where the species was thought to be extinct. We are working with WCS-Cambodia to help advise and plan their strategy for Giant River Terrapin conservation in southwest Cambodia. This includes further surveys of the river where we found Giant River Terrapin, as well as research into the translocation and release into protected rivers.

There are several key aspects to this project:

1. Assess the status of ex-situ conservation efforts in the Sre Ambel River Basin, with particular attention to the affects on Giant River Terrapins.
2. Determine any other rivers containing remnant Giant River Terrapin populations.
3. Evaluate the potential for translocation or reintroduction into other southwest Cambodia river systems.
4. Advise on the use of current and future captive breeding programs for on-the-ground conservation.

References

Asian Turtle Trade Working Group 2000. Batagur baska. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 December 2008.

Holloway, R. H. P. 2003. Natural history notes on the River Terrapin Batagur baska (Gray, 1831) in Cambodia. Research Fellowship Program Report. Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY and Applied Ecology Research Group, University of Canberra, Australia.

Holloway, R. H.P. and S. Heng. 2004. Geographic distribution: Batagur baska. Herpetological Review 35:284.

Moll, E. O. 1980. Tuntong laut: the river turtle that goes to sea. Nature Malaysiana 5:17-21.

Moll, E. O. 1980. Natural history of the river terrapin, Batagur baska (Gray) in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Science 6(A):23-62.

Moll, E. O. 1990. Final report: status and management of the River Terrapin (Batagur baska) in tropical Asia. World Wide Fund for Nature, Gland, Switzerland.

Moll, D. 2004. The ecology, exploitation, and conservation of river turtles. Oxford University Press, U.K.

Platt, S. G., B. L. Stuart, H. Sovannara, L. Kheng, Kalyar, and H. Kimchhay. 2003. Rediscovery of the Critically Endangered River Terrapin, Batagur baska, in Cambodia, with notes on occurrence, reproduction, and conservation status. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4:691-695.

Poole, C. 2008. Status of the Sre Ambel Batagur baska conservation project, August 2008. WCS, New York, USA.

Praschag, P., R. S. Sommer, C. McCarthy, R. Gemel, and U. Fritz. 2008. Naming one of the world’s rarest chelonians, the southern Batagur. Zootaxa 1