Secure Painted Terrapin Eggs
Since the 10th December 2012 we have been conducting a nesting patrol to secure eggs from human threats and natural predation. Our team accompanied by a forestry officer has secured 69 eggs of Painted Terrapin (Batagur borneoensis) from 4 nests on two different nesting beaches. In this period we also recorded that two females failed to lay eggs due to being caught in fishermen’s nets located around the nesting beach.
The eggs will be incubated in semi natural method in an electric incubator at our head-starting facility. All the hatchlings produced will be kept at the facility for some period, at least six months, and then released in to their natural habitat.
Keeping hatchlings in this manner, it is believed, will give them have more chances of surviving in the wild from natural predation as they will have a harder carapace. This will provide better self defence.
In this patrol, we had to compete with local people in order to secure the eggs. They were collecting for consumption. As is the case every nesting season.
According to IUCN the painted terrapin is a critically endangered and listed in the Top 25 Global Endangered Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises.
