Breeding Performance and Pond Habitat Management of Critically Endangered Black Soft-Shell Turtle ( Nilssonia nigricans
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Proc Zool Soc https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-020-00350-6
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Breeding Performance and Pond Habitat Management of Critically Endangered Black Soft-Shell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) in Bangladesh Indrani Kanungo1 • M. Shahanul Islam1,2
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Abdullah-Al Mamun1
Received: 15 December 2018 / Revised: 30 August 2020 / Accepted: 5 September 2020 Ó Zoological Society, Kolkata, India 2020
Abstract Approximately 450–550 critically endangered soft-shell turtles locally known as Bostami turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) are confined in a freshwater reservoir (earthen pond) of 5663.24 m2 (84.4 m 9 67.1 m) at a shrine in Chattogram, Bangladesh. The shrine is visited by many people and feed these turtles for religious purposes. These turtles are remained half-buried in the mud during the day and also floating, taking rest and feeding in this single pond. A survey was conducted with the shrine authority, visitors as well as observed management protocol to understand the status of Bostami turtle. Their nesting season extends from February to May. The median clutch size was 16.5 (range 16–30). The incubation period was varied from 80–90 days and the successful hatching rate was significantly low (P = 0.03) and gradually decreased from 13.1% to 7.14% in 2008 to 2010. Limited cruising area, eggs predation, overcrowding, lack of proper nesting ground, lack of proper hatching and management facilities are the major threats for this critically endangered fresh water turtle. A poor management could potentially bring health risk and inbreeding depression in the population. All
& M. Shahanul Islam [email protected] Indrani Kanungo [email protected] Abdullah-Al Mamun [email protected] 1
Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, 3814 Chattogram, Bangladesh
2
College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, People’s Republic of China
sorts of biological activities in a single pond for an endangered species could potentially bring disaster and appropriate management protocol should be followed. Thus, a standard management protocol of soft-shell turtle has been developed in this study for proper management of Bostami turtle. Keywords Bostami turtle Endangered Freshwater turtle Breeding Bangladesh
Introduction Critically endangered black soft-shell turtles (Nilssonia nigricans), also known as the Bostami turtles are enclosed in a pond (earthen puddles) at the Hazrat Bayazid Bostami shrine (after shrine of Sultan-ul-Arefin Hazrat. Bayazid Bostami) in Chattogram, Bangladesh. The local people call this turtle as Gadari-Madari. The local belief is that they are supernatural creatures of a few people who disobeyed orders of the saint Hazrat. Bayazid Bostami and became turtle shaped after receiving his wrath for sinful works (Ahsan and Saeed 2009). The population status this turtle was determined by capture, mark and release method and it was 320 in 1986 (Ahsan
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