On the border between Burkina Faso and Togo, there is a swath of relatively untouched habitats, ripe with biodiversity, and understudied by conservationists. This area spells hope for many turtle species that are critically endangered, or even presumed locally extinct due to lack of data. With this new conservation initiative, we aim to study the distribution and community ecology of freshwater and terrestrial turtles in this area to discover what turtle habitats and populations still exist.
Thanks to a grant through the Fonseca Species Conservation Fund, we support PhD Student Amétépé Hounmavo to perform these studies which include field transects, trapping, face-to-face interviews, and bushmeat market surveys–all of which have proven effective in this region for other studies. Gathering data on the distribution, habitat preferences, and local status of turtle populations will give us a greater understanding of what conservation action is needed.
Species featured in this study include the Senegal Flapshell Turtle (Cyclanorbis senegalensis), the African Softshell Turtle (Trionyx triunguis), the West African Mud Turtle (Pelusios castaneus), the African Helmuted Turtle (Pelomedusa olivacea), the Western Hinge-back Tortoise (Kinixys nogueyi), the African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata), and Africa’s rarest turtle species: the Nubian Flapshell Turtle (Cyclanorbis elegans). However, the presence of this latter species has never been confirmed so far in the study area, but it is plausible based on historical records from the Volta region in Ghana and the northern Mono river in Togo. In fact, this area was once inhabited by this species, but we are unsure what populations, if any, remain today, and previous studies in the area were unsuccessful. This study will illuminate the present populations of these highly endangered species, as well as the other turtles that live amongst them.
Turtle Survival Alliance has supported Luca Luiselli, the leading scientist of the Nubian Flapshell Turtle, in east Africa for years. He will lend his expertise and aid in the project’s success. With enough data, we can guide major conservation efforts for the species living at this critical boundary of Burkina Faso and Togo.
The Nubian Flapshell Turtle is highlighted in the latest Turtles in Trouble report, published in July of this year. This report outlines the top 66 most endangered turtle species on the planet. This species is one of 43 from the report that Turtle Survival Alliance is actively working to understand its true remaining distribution and protect it from the numerous threats it faces. Without our conservation efforts, these turtles would surely be extinct. This project is one step towards understanding the turtles in sub-Saharan west Africa, which is one step towards their protection and conservation.
Acknowledgments: Fonseca Species Conservation Fund, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Re:Wild
Header image: A Senegal Flapshell Turtle (Cyclanorbis senegalensis). Photo by Pearson McGovern