Primary investigator and photos
Mario Vargas-Ramírez

Downloads

Páez V.P., A. Restrepo, M. Vargas-Ramírez & B.C. Bock. 2009. Podocnemis lewyana (Duméril 1852) – Magdalena River turtle. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., P.C.H. Pritchard, P.P. van Dijk, R.A. Sumure, K.A. Buhlmann, J.B. Iverson y R.A. Mittermeier (eds). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Turtoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5, pp. 024.1-024.6.

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(417 KB)

Vargas-Ramírez M. 2007. “Participatory research towards the conservation of the endangered-endemic river turtle Podocnemis lewyana in the Upper Magdalena River, Colombia”. Final report.

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(3.96 MB)

Vargas-Ramírez M., Y. Chiari, O.V. Castaño-Mora, S.B.J. Menken. 2006. First genetic survey on the Magdalena’s endemic fresh water turtle Podocnemis lewyana (Testudines, Podocnemididae) and its relation with human communities. Consequences for the species conservation. Final report.

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(2.07 MB)

Vargas-Ramírez M., Y. Chiari, O.V. Castaño-Mora, S.B.J. Menken. 2007. Low genetic variability in the endangered Colombian endemic freshwater turtle Podocnemis lewyana (Testudines, Podocnemididae). Contributions to Zoology, 76 (1) 1-7

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(906 KB)

Vargas-Ramírez M. Feb 2007. Participatory research towards the conservation of the endangered-endemic fresh water turtle Podocnemis lewyana in the Upper Magdalena River, Colombia. Update report.

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(2.27 MB)

Supporting institutions

Cleveland Zoological Society

News

The project is getting resources for its continuation

Conservation of endemic-endangered species is a question that calls for urgent actions and decisions. Addressing issues related to the conservation of such species require a multidisciplinary approach, that could bring different range of knowledge and effective partnership among organizations (Jacobson, 1995; Kessler et al., 1998), able to carry out different kind of activities; environmental education, ecological research, management, legislation and enforcement (Trewhella et al., 2001). Understanding the ecological, demographic and genetic patterns, which drive population dynamics of endangered species (Cauglley, 1994) and the role that human communities play over wild populations and their habitats, is essential for conservation efforts.

Podocnemis Lewyana; The Magdalena’s river turtle (fig.1), is a river turtle threatened-endemic turtle species from the so-called Uraba-Magdalena eco-region in Colombia. It is considered endangered specie (EN) in the IUCN red list. It has also been put in Appendix II of the CITES convention. Local fishing communities have been consuming its meat and eggs for many years. Eastern time coincides with the dry season throughout the turtle’s distribution range. During the dry season, female turtles lay eggs on the beaches of the rivers, which can easily be collected by local inhabitants. As the Catholic Church in Colombia forbids the consumption during Easter time of chicken and beef, the demand for turtle meat and eggs has opened economic opportunities to disfavoured local communities (Vargas-Ramírez et al., 2007). The hatchlings are furthermore persecuted as people keep them as pets (Castaño-Mora, 1986). Although P. lewyana is legally protected since 1964, and is taken up in the “National Program for The Conservation of Turtles” (Rodríguez et al., 2002), which includes an action plan for its conservation, there is little information available on the ecology and demography or on human activities that interfere with this species. Furthermore nowhere in its distribution range does the species occur in a National Park or other protected area (Vargas-Ramírez et al., 2007).
Starting an evaluation of Podocnemis lewyana populations state and its relation and use by human communities, as well as immediate actions towards its conservation (e.g. educational program), is an urgent priority.

Kids and their pets - Man River, affluent of the Cauca River, Antioquia, Colombia.

Since 2004 we started collecting and analysing biological and social information as a base for the design of coherent actions for the protection and conservation of this endemic-threatened species.

The fist pilot Project; “First genetic survey on the Magdalena’s endemic fresh water turtle Podocnemis lewyana (Testudines, Podocnemididae) and its relation with human communities. Consequences for the species conservation”, carried out in 2005, had three goals: a) To investigate the genetic variability and examine the relationship among populations of P. lewyana from different localities widespread over its distribution range using mtDNA cytochrome b sequences. (see results here). b) To assess preliminarily the species’ threats and its relation with human communities, at several localities over its distribution range and 3) To open a participatory scenario for the turtle’s situation awareness and the identification of possible places and conditions for the creation of a community-based conservation initiative. In the frame work of this pilot project, 60 localities were visited and 10 main threats for P. lewyana were identified (see final report).

As a result of the first assessment of threats for the survival of Podocnemis lewyana in Puerto del Medio locality, Prado Municipality, Upper Magdalena river, a population in apparent acceptable conservation state (compared to other localities) was identified. In this locality serious threat factors for the turtle survival were also recognized: habitat destruction, traditional consumption, medicinal uses and myths, non-suitable arts of fishing and artificial inundations due to a dam presence (Vargas-Ramírez et al., 2006). The locality and its respective community were chosen for the subsequently continuation of gathering basic information for the design of tool towards the protection and conservation of the species and its habitat. This second stage, the “Participatory research towards the conservation of the endangered-endemic River turtle Podocnemis lewyana in the Upper Magdalena river, Colombia” integrated the initial phase of an educational program; as immediate actions for the species population conservation, with the collection of socio-cultural and biological information, in order to identify and characterize further research subjects and gain knowledge and expertise towards the design of conservation initiatives for P.lewyana in the Upper Magdalena river. This project finished in April 2007 with successful and important outcomes. (final report available soon).
It is necessary in short term, to carry on with the implemented Environmental Education program, carry on collecting information biological and socio-cultural information and start designing a future community-based conservation strategy in Puerto del Medio.

Interviews with key informants were important to get information on the conservation status of the species, self-ecology and uses. Biologist Natalia Gallego during this activity.

Adult females, which can be over 60 years old, are captured on the nesting beaches and stored to be sold during Easter.

References

Caughley G. 1994. Directions in conservation biology. Journal of Animal Ecology 63, 215–244.

Jacobson SK. 1995. Introduction: wildlife conservation through education. Pages xxiii–xxxi in S.K. Jacobson, editor. Conserving wildlife. International education and communication approaches. Columbia . University Press, New York .

Kessler WB, Csanyi S, Field R. 1998. International trends in university education for wildlife conservation and management. Wildlife Society Bulletin 26:927–936.

Rodríguez C, Vaca D, Caicedo D, ed. 2002. Tortugas Marinas y Continentales; Programa Nacional Para La Conservación. Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Dirección General de Ecosistemas. Report, 63pp.

Trewhella WJ. Rodriguez-Clark KM, Davies JG, Reason PF, Wray S. 2001. Sympatric fruit bat species (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in the Comoro Islands (Western Indian Ocean ): diurnality, feeding interactions and their conservation implications. Acta Chiropterlogica 3:135–147.

Vanzolini PE . 2003. On clutch size and hatching success of the South American turtles Podocnemis expansa (Schweigger, 1812) and P. unifilis Troschel, 1848 (Testudines, Podocnemididae). Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 75(4): 415-430.

Vargas-Ramírez MA. 2006. First genetic survey on the Magdalena 's endemic fresh water turtle Podocnemis lewyana (Testudines, Podocnemididae) and its relation with human communities. Consequences for the species conservation. Report, 49pp. On line www.fundacionbiodiversa.org/proyectos_tortuga.html

Vargas-Ramírez MA, Chiari Y, Castaño-Mora OV, Menken SBJ. 2007. Low genetic variability in the endangered Colombian endemic freshwater turtle Podocnemis lewyana (Testudines, Podocnemididae). Contributions to Zoology, 76 (1) 1-7.