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<div>The notching/drilling of the marginal scutes of research terrapins/turtles (Cagle 1939) should be standard with inserting pit-tags. Terrapins and other turtles in the US have a higher chance of staying where right where they are if they are noticeably marked as a research animal. This is a very good deterrent, as well as an easy identification feature. It does not stop every poaching event, but it certainly reduces the number. When turtles are just pit-tagged, collectors think they have unmarked (unclaimed) animals and that their risk level is low. When they see holes or notches, the collectors know they are in or near a research area or and the animals might be pit-tagged, which can't be easily removed, and this links them to the location where they animals came from therefore increasing their risk. The "might be pit-tagged" thought is a very good deterrent, but they won't get that unless the turtle is noticeably marked. Marked turtles are often not poached or done so in low number because of that risk, plus the fact that they have been defaced. Inspectors and other law enforcement are more aware of marked turtles these days and are likely to question an animal with obvious human-made notches/holes. That gives law enforcement a reason to scan the turtle with a reader. The third method that should be used are photographs, Although terrapins are a species that can change color and pattern from hatchling to adult (ontogenetic shift). Once they take on the adult form (this happens before maturity), those head/chin patterns as well as carapace/plastron patterns are mostly defined and do not change much. This three way ID protocol (notch/pit-tag/photographs) allows you to positively identify your research turtles even if two methods fail, such as an expelled pit-tag or a predator removing notched scutes.</div><div><br></div><div>
it is important to know that when a species becomes extremely valuable, like A<i>strochelys yniphora </i>etc., neither notches, pit-tags, photographs, engraving, or anti-tampering explosives will stop the poaching event. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div>
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rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><br><br><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Oct 30, 2019, at 1:33 PM, Marguerite Whilden <<a href="mailto:tidewater1@mac.com" target="_blank">tidewater1@mac.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">One way or another I hope your recent efforts to track down the origins of a tagged terrapin become standard procedure, particularly since many tagging efforts are unpublished, discontinued, and/or not widely known. Although PIT tags may be the most popular there are several other tagging methods that could be recognized by other taggers, collectors, fishers, etc. Unless the marking method needs to be concealed a two tiered method might be preferred. In my experience, the recovery of our tagged animals in 2006 provided vital evidence that was pivotal to our conservation efforts. Specifically, the return of several tagged terrapins from a live market in Albany, NY documented the extent and composition of Maryland’s commercial harvest and sparked an extraordinary series of events. We’re forever grateful for the concerted efforts of several individuals who noticed the market terrapins were marked, found us, and returned our terrapins. It was particularly serendipitous since we do not use PIT tags. <div><br></div><div><br></div><div> <br><div><blockquote type="cite"><div>On Oct 16, 2019, at 8:25 PM, Barbara Brennessel <<a href="mailto:bbrennes@wheatonma.edu" target="_blank">bbrennes@wheatonma.edu</a>> wrote:</div><br><div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none">This is an interesting idea. I leave it to the leadership of the DTWG to decide on a policy and devise a method to share this information. Perhaps the tagging efforts could be shared at regional meetings and then collected at the next national meeting...</div><br style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none"><div class="gmail_quote" style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Oct 16, 2019 at 6:25 PM Marguerite Whilden <<a href="mailto:tidewater1@mac.com" target="_blank">tidewater1@mac.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Regarding the tagged terrapin discovered at a reptile show, it would be helpful to have a readily available chart describing all terrapin tagging efforts. If not already established there should be a code of ethics adopted by any/all researchers permitted by States to tag wild terrapins that would require an effort to notify the source of the original tag. (The Maryland Scientific Collection Permit once required such notification.) I learned recently that terrapins with Terrapin Institute tags and other obvious telltale marks on the shell were discovered in the Chesapeake. Unfortunately there was no effort to identify the original tagger and report such findings because the researcher was unaware of any other tagging programs. The Terrapin Institute has posted several photos depicting examples of our various tagging techniques beginning with our 1998 tags. <span> </span><br>Might there be any interest among this membership to compile a chart of tagging efforts and develop a code of ethics? <span> </span><br><br>> On Oct 16, 2019, at 12:15 PM, Barbara Brennessel <<a href="mailto:bbrennes@wheatonma.edu" target="_blank">bbrennes@wheatonma.edu</a>> wrote:<br>><span> </span><br>> Thank you for all your responses. We identified the area from which the captive PIT tagged terrapin originated. Law enforcement is now in the picture.<span> </span><br>><span> </span><br>> It's quite a coincidence that this was reported just after the DTWG workshop in Wilmington at which there were a couple of talks that mentioned poaching.<br>><span> </span><br>> --<span> </span><br>> Barbara Brennessel, Ph.D.<br>> Professor Emerita<br>> Wheaton College<br>> Norton, MA 02766<br>><span> </span><br>> cell:508-479-6553<br>><span> </span><br>> _______________________________________________<br>> Dtwg mailing list<br>><span> </span><a href="mailto:Dtwg@listserv.ohio.edu" target="_blank">Dtwg@listserv.ohio.edu</a><br>><span> </span><a href="https://listserv.ohio.edu/mailman/listinfo/dtwg" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://listserv.ohio.edu/mailman/listinfo/dtwg</a><br><br></blockquote></div><br style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none" clear="all"><div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none"><br></div><span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;display:inline">--<span> </span></span><br style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none"><div dir="ltr" style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none"><div dir="ltr">Barbara Brennessel, Ph.D.<div>Professor Emerita<br></div><div>Wheaton College</div><div>Norton, MA 02766</div><div><br></div><div>cell:508-479-6553</div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>Dtwg mailing list</span><br><span><a href="mailto:Dtwg@listserv.ohio.edu" target="_blank">Dtwg@listserv.ohio.edu</a></span><br><span><a href="https://listserv.ohio.edu/mailman/listinfo/dtwg" target="_blank">https://listserv.ohio.edu/mailman/listinfo/dtwg</a></span><br></div></blockquote></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>
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