“Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Saga and Setback: Novel Analyses of Cumulative Hatchlings Released and Time-Lagged Annual Nests in Tamaulipas, Mexico” by C.W. Caillouet, Jr., B.J. Gallaway, and N.F. Putnam, Chelonian Conservation and Biology 15(1): 115-131 (2016).

In the right column on page 122, the sentence beginning on the seventh line, should be corrected to: For consecutive pairs of post-2008 data points (Fig. 6), the largest decrease between years 2009 and 2010 was followed by an increase between 2010 and 2011, then further decreases between 2011 and 2012, 2012 and 2013, and 2013 and 2014.

In the right column

Abstract

The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) data set for the years 1990–2010 were analyzed to depict the main patterns of trade for tortoises and freshwater turtles of wild origin. About 2 million wild individuals were traded over 20 yrs of monitoring, with 48 species (of 335 turtle species in total) belonging to 10 distinct families being regularly traded and over 100 being at least occasionally traded. Most of the traded specimens belonged to the families Testudinidae, Geoemydidae, Emydidae, and Trionychidae (about 93% of trade). The trade of wild individuals reached its peak in the early 2000s, with this pattern being stronger in the Asian region. After the years 2003–2005, there was a substantial decrease in the number of wild exports from the Asian region, with a remarkable growth in the export numbers from the Nearctic region. It is unknown whether the reduction of exported Asian region turtle numbers depended on 1) CITES regulation and supervision or 2) a collapse of the wild populations. There were uneven frequencies of wild turtles traded by biogeographic region, with a higher amount of traded wild turtles coming from Asian and Palearctic regions. There were 107 exporting countries, with Malaysia, the United States, and Indonesia being the most important countries in the trade (each one responsible for over 20% of trade). Overall, there were 66 importing countries, with the most important being the United States (17%), China (15%), and Hong Kong (12%). The conservation implications of the observed patterns are discussed.

Abstract

Conservation of wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) requires improved ecological knowledge near the southern extent of their geographic range. Our objectives were to determine home range sizes and structural habitat characteristics of wood turtles near the southern border of their geographic range in eastern West Virginia. We captured 284 wood turtles (137 males, 88 females, and 59 juveniles) along a 13.7-km reach of river from spring 2009 to summer 2011. Home ranges (95% minimum convex polygons) varied from 0.62 to 36.97 ha; male home ranges tended to be elongated along the river, whereas female and juvenile home ranges encompassed a greater proportion of terrestrial habitat. Low bare ground and rock cover and high vegetative vertical density were structural characteristics associated with the turtles' habitat compared with random plots. Our study provides vital data about home range, movements, and habitat use of wood turtles along the southern border of their range. These data will assist in planning management strategies that will promote the survival and sustainability of the species. We recommend establishing and maintaining riparian zones along waterways bordering agricultural fields to provide essential habitat for the species.

Abstract

Depredation rates on turtle nests can be very high, resulting in low recruitment to populations. Understanding predator foraging habits and nesting ecology of turtles is essential for the long-term management of threatened turtle species. Cues used by predators to locate wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) nests were investigated by creating simulated nests with 1 of 4 treatments: soil disturbance, water with turtle scent, soil disturbance plus turtle scent, or distilled water. Nest predators primarily used soil disturbance cues for locating nests. Additionally, artificial nests with buried chicken eggs were created at varying distances from the river and monitored for predation. Nest predation decreased as nest distance from the river increased. These data can be used to develop strategies for more effective management of this threatened species.