Name: _____________________________________________________Class________________ Date: ___________________________
Directions: Fill in the blanks below during the PowerPoint presentation.
Subspecies:
o population that occupies a ______________________________________________________
o differs in ______________________________________________________ from other subspecies
o can ___________________________________________with other subspecies of the same species
Example: The Plymouth Red-bellied Turtle use to be considered its own subspecies called Pseudemys rubiventris bangsi based on differences
in shell measurements when compared to the mid-Atlantic Red-bellied Turtle (3).
_______________________________________(3): does not differ genetically from the mid-Atlantic population
Why is it classified as Endangered?
o listed on April 02, 1980 based on the subspecies only __________________________________________________ (2)
o only _______________________________________________________________
o When the subspecies classification taken away, the _______________________________________ filed a petition in1997 to de-list the
turtle based on Taxonomic error
o Reclassification as a _________________________________________ (separated by ____________) ensured that the turtle remain listed
as endangered
o extinction of the Plymouth Population would reduce the latitude range by 1/3; other estimates say by 40% (3)
Breeding Age (3):
o ________________________ years (3)
o as soon as 12 years for headstarted turtles
Life Expectancy: (3)
o ______________________ years
Nesting: (3)
o females dig a nest near the pond
o 1-2 ____________________________ per year (most lay 1)
o Incubation period: 73-80 days
o Incubation temp: ______________________________(3)
Temp Dependent Sex Determination: (3)
o shady/cool produces ______________________________________
o sunny/warm produces _____________________________________
Present Sex Ratio:
o currently has more males
o Boot Pond: 2.5 males : 1 female (21:8)
Habitat (3):
o 20 _________________________________Ponds
o 4 towns: Plymouth, Kingston, Carver and Middleborough
o __________________in single private owned pond (Federal)
Major Threats (3):
o ___________________________________________
o ___________________________________________
o ___________________________________________
Hatchling Predators: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ (3)
Nest predation: ________________________________________________________________________________________________
Headstart Program (3)
o 2,725 have been released from _________________________________________(3)
o turtle nests protected with wire enclosures
o hatchlings were collected
o released at two to six times larger than similar-aged turtles in the wild
Status of the Recovery Effort:
Today there are ____________ breeding age turtles in 20 ponds, but less than 10 have ________________________________________.
Delisting Criteria (3):
Status
Population Size
# subpopulations
E to T
600 breeding age
15 ponds Self Sustaining
(50 or more cooters)
Delisting
1000 breeding age
20 self sustaining (lakes,
ponds, possibly rivers) with
protected habitat
Name: _____________________________________________________Class________________ Date: ___________________________
Directions: Fill in the blanks below during the PowerPoint presentation.
Subspecies:
o population that occupies a unique geographical range
o differs in morphology or genetically from other subspecies
o can interbreed with other subspecies of the same species
Example: The Plymouth Red-bellied Turtle use to be considered its own subspecies called Pseudemys rubiventris bangsi based on differences
in shell measurements when compared to the mid-Atlantic Red-bellied Turtle (3).
No Longer a Subspecies (3): does not differ genetically from the mid-Atlantic population
Why is it classified as Endangered?
o listed on April 02, 1980 based on the subspecies only occurring in Plymouth County (2)
o only 50 turtles known in 1980
o When the subspecies classification taken away, the National Wilderness Institute filed a petition in1997 to de-list the turtle based on
Taxonomic error
o Reclassification as a Disjunct Population Segment (separated by 250 miles) ensured that the turtle remain listed as endangered
o extinction of the Plymouth Population would reduce the latitude range by 1/3; other estimates say by 40% (3)
Breeding Age (3):
o 15-20 years (3)
o as soon as 12 years for headstarted turtles
Life Expectancy: (3)
o 40-45 years
Nesting: (3)
o females dig a nest near the pond
o 1-2 clutches per year (most lay 1)
o Incubation period: 73-80 days
o Incubation temp: 25 ºC (3)
Temp Dependent Sex Determination: (3)
o shady/cool produces males (3)
o sunny/warm produces females (3)
Present Sex Ratio:
o currently has more males
o Boot Pond: 2.5 males : 1 female (21:8)
Habitat (3):
o 20 coastal plain Ponds
o 4 towns: Plymouth, Kingston, Carver and Middleborough
o 50% in single private owned pond (Federal)
Major Threats (3):
o Habitat loss
o Predation
o Burning Suppression
Hatchling Predators: bull frog, largemouth bass, great blue heron, raccoon, snapping turtles (3)
Nest predation: raccoons, skunks , red fox, coyotes, crows
Headstart Program (3)
o 2,725 have been released from 1984-2007 (3)
o turtle nests protected with wire enclosures
o hatchlings were collected
o released at two to six times larger than similar-aged turtles in the wild
Status of the Recovery Effort:
Today there are 400-600 breeding age turtles in 20 ponds, but less than 10 have more than 20 breeders.
Delisting Criteria (3):
Status
E to T
Population Size
600 breeding age
Delisting
1000 breeding age
# subpopulations
15 ponds Self Sustaining
(50 or more cooters)
20 self sustaining (lakes,
ponds, possibly rivers) with
protected habitat
References:
1. http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/SpeciesReport.do?spcode=C021
2. Michael J. Amaral, New England Field Office, Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a Petition to Delist
the Plymouth Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris bangsi) 71 FR 58363 58364, 10/03/2006 http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2006_register&docid=fr03oc06-35 Accessed: Feb 20, 2008
3. Michael J. Amaral. Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation May 3, 2007
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service New England Field Office Concord, New Hampshire
http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/five_year_review/doc1109.pdf
4. Robert A. Browne; N. Alison Haskell; Curtice R. Griffin; Jeffrey W. Ridgeway
Genetic Variation among Populations of the Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Copeia, Vol. 1996, No. 1. (Feb. 2, 1996), pp. 192-195.
5. Size Related Survival of Headstarted Redbelly Turtles (Pseudemys rubriventris) in Massachusetts
Alison Haskell; Terry E. Graham; Curtice R. Griffin; Jay B. Hestbeck
Journal of Herpetology, Vol. 30, No. 4. (Dec., 1996), pp. 524-527.