Palawan Freshwater Turtle Conservation Program

Dr. Sabine Schoppe

Director of PFTCP

Palawan Freshwater Turtle Conservation Program

• Sub-program of the Philippine Freshwater Turtle Conservation Program – MOA with DENR-PAWB (2006)

• SEP Clearance No. 102811-010 • 2011 – 2020 • 21 barangays / 11 municipalities

Overall goal

Conservation and sustainable management of Palawan’s freshwater turtles and their habitats.

Specific goal

Conservation and restoration of the most viable populations of the Palawan Forest Turtle and its habitats, under involvement of key stakeholders in combination with ex-situ conservation measures such as captive breeding and maintaining an assurance colony, resulting in a down-listing of the species from „Critically Endangered‟ to „Endangered‟ by 2020.

Objectives

1. Conservation and management of Palawan’s freshwater turtle populations and their habitats;

2. Conduct of scientific research;

3. Education and capacitating stakeholders;

4. Identify additional livelihood options.

Focal species • Palawan Forest Turtle -

Bakoko – Pagong

• Siebenrockiella leytensis

• Re-discovered in 2004

• Palawan endemic

• Illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction

• Critically endangered

KEY PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND FINDINGS

Distribution and species composition Site S. leytensis C. amboinensis C. dentata D. subplana

Culion no yes yes no

El Nido no yes yes no

Taytay yes yes yes no

Dumaran yes yes yes no

San Vicente yes yes yes no

Roxas yes yes yes no

Northwestern PPC yes yes yes no

Southern PPC no yes yes no

Brookes Point no yes yes yes

Rizal no yes yes yes

Reason for limited distribution of S. leytensis • Highly aquatic;

• North has hilly lowlands with extensive river systems;

• Water catchment basins are topographically divided limiting distribution to only certain streams in the north;

• South has extensive alluvial plains with few rivers that eventually fall dry;

• Ultramafic soils south of 10°N is assumed to be a geographical barrier and excludes S. leytensis from the south.

2010 2012 Density (ind./100m2)

Trend Remarks

PPC 133 124 2.12 = Pristine habitat, healthy population

Roxas 104 35 0.23 ↓ Ongoing habitat destruction, no recruitment

Taytay 19 21 0.19 ~ No large adults

Palawan 3,000 ↓ Ongoing trade and degradation of lowland forest habitats

Population size estimates and trends S. leytensis

S. leytensis is and remains Critically Endangered

Seasonality and home range of S. leytensis

• Radio tracking of juveniles for 3 and adults for up to 24 months in Tagabinet, PPC

• 1760 tracking locations extending over 2.7km of the stream

• All reading from water bodies

• Sub-adults travelled longer distances during the rainy season

Home range & max. distance travelled in 24h Mean home range

length (m) Distance (m)

travelled in 24 hours

Juveniles 526±195 70±116

Females, adult 1,124±1,072 53±132

Females, sub-adults 770 93±171

Males, adults 425±201 47±104

Males, sub-adult 2,465±276 122±316 S. leytensis shows high site fidelity & males are territorial.

Diet of S. leytensis

• Monthly fecal collection resulted into 147 samples from 79 individuals;

• 18 different food items were identified; • 3 major categories: animal matter, fruits, and

leaves; • Omnivorous and predominantly forages in

the stream; • Plays important role in reducing pest species

and as seed disperser of riparian vegetation.

Number of occurrence of food items Taxon Local name Qnt. Rf

Pomacea canaliculata, Thiaridae, Neritinidae Kuhol, Susu 63 43 Parathelphusa cf Crab 9 6 Arthropoda unidentified 5 3 Aves Ibon 2 1 Arenga sp. Batbat 19 13 Cocus nucifera Niyog 3 2 Coffea sp. Kape 27 18 Garcinia binucao Kandis 16 11 Elaeocarpus sp. Pasi 22 15 Caryota rumphiana Takipan 32 22 Ficus natu and spp. Tebey 10 7 Nauclea orientalis Bangkal 2 1 Psidium guajava Bayabas 4 3 Small seeds unidentified 24 16 Oryza salvia Palay 7 5 Pandanus spp. & Bambusa leaves Pandanan, Kawayan 18 12 Misc. fruits unidentified 15 10 Digested matter unidentified 49 33

Environmental education

•Nov. ’12 - Sept. ‘13, Dumarao: 128 IECs, 6,280 audience

•WTD 2011: 280

•WTD 2012: 300

•WTD 2013: 360

Partnership with communities / LGU • Bakoko Day Tagabinet, PPC

• Bakoko Day Dumarao, Roxas

• Annual World Turtle Day celebration with WPU

• Brgy Dumarao Res. No 20-2012

• Dumarao Ordinance No. 25-2013

Information dissemination

Importance and effectiveness of IEC

• Increase in knowledge leads to the understanding of the need for conservation;

• E.g. before IEC only 1.7% could distinguish the PFT, after 38.5% (ongoing analysis).

• Only 17.9% of respondents have heard about the Philippine Wildlife Act 9147

Threat assessment

• Main threat is illegal pet trade, followed by food trade and habitat destruction.

Trade, Confiscation & Repatriation • 3 confiscations in 2012

• 2 of those in Hong Kong

• Repatriated in April & Aug. ‘12

• Turned over to KFI

• Partly released in June 2012 and June 2013

Threat assessment

• Increasing denudation of riverine vegetation;

• Erosion of river banks;

• Cutting of forests;

• Conversion of wetlands into rice fields.

Habitat protection and rehabilitation

• Conduct of surveys for areas in need of conservation; • Rapid resource assessment; • Declaration of protected area under local government

code; • Nursery establishment; • Rehabilitation of river banks.

Ex-situ conservation • KFI holds the only assurance colony of S. leytensis;

• Government loan;

• Conservation breeding;

Husbandry protocol • Female S. leytensis prefer dark, sheltered, secluded places to

hide and rest;

• Keeping females separately from males arouses their interest in reproduction;

• Females are selective in their choice of mate;

• Knowledge on nesting preferences and incubation is still insufficient;

• Even food unknown to S. leytensis can be used to diversify the diet of the species.

Key sponsors and partners

Thank you! • Turtle Team: Diverlie Acosta, Ronelito Esuma, Edgar Jose, Gynald Acierto, Angel and Angelo Satioquia

• KFI management & staff

• Volunteers, affiliates & students especially Monica Gargallano, Mark Padul, Mike Cervancia, Guy Factor, Jona Miguel, Dexter Alvarado