Guidelines and Protocols: Turtle Research Lab

TURTLE RESEARCH LABORATORY GUIDELINES

AND PROTOCOLS

DR. JAMES F KOUKL

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER

3900 UNIVERSITY BLVD.

TYLER, TEXAS 75799

903-566-7009

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Everyone that works in the Turtle Research Laboratory, whether you are helping to run trapping arrays, working on an independent project, or working on a master’s degree thesis, must adhere to the following protocols and guidelines. If you have questions regarding any issues in this document, you should ask Dr. Koukl or an experienced Turtle Research Laboratory student. Data you collect will likely not only be used in the project you are working on, but by other scientists conducting research in the future at UT Tyler or other research institutions. Consequently, everyone that works in the Turtle Research Laboratory is expected to take great care to ensure the completeness and accuracy of all data you collect. If you are unsure about anything, you should ask for help immediately.

FIELD RESEARCH

Safety In The Field - Everyone working in the Turtle Research Laboratory is expected to take all appropriate safety precautions. You should always take a cell phone with you. You should inform Dr. Koukl and field companions of any allergies or medical conditions. Some additional safety reminders:

Try to avoid being outside during a lightning storm. You should take cover in an automobile or building immediately if caught in a lighting storm. Do not stand next to isolated trees or water.
No student working in the laboratory should attempt to capture a live venomous snake.
You should familiarize yourself with the venomous snakes of the area before going into the field. The most common venomous snakes you may encounter is the cottonmouth, timber rattlesnake, and copperhead.
When possible, take a buddy with you.
You should always take drinking water with you.
Beware of poison ivy. If needed, there are anti-poison ivy creams in the laboratory above the sink.
Always put DEET on prior to going to the field in the warmer months. Little bottles of DEET are located on the top shelf in the laboratory. This is to prevent getting deer ticks, chiggers, and mosquitos. Lyme’s Disease caused by the bite of deer ticks can be a very serious illness so please use DEET!
It is highly recommended that students purchase rubber boats that are snake proof. You will always see Dr. Koukl with his snake boots on while at the Old Sabine River Bottom Wildlife Management Area. Stepping on Agkistrodon piscivorus can be a common experience while trapping turtles in certain areas.

Field Supplies -

Every time you go into the field you must take 1) a cell phone, 2) field notes, and 3) GPS unit. Depending on your purpose, you may also need to take bags for animals, snake hooks, traps, camera, walkie-talkies, etc. All supplies and equipment must be returned, clean and in proper working order, to their proper place in the Turtle Research Laboratory If you break a piece of equipment or if a piece of equipment is not working properly, you should report this immediately to Dr. Koukl.

Field Notes -

Everyone that works as part of the Turtle Research Lab is required to take accurate field notes. You will be issued a field notebook which you should take with

you every time you go into the field. In this notebook, you will record the following:

all field sites you visit
the dates and times that you visit them
the people you are with
weather conditions
You should always use scientific names in your field notes. You can abbreviate scientific names by using the first three letters of the genus and first three letters of the species (e.g., Chelydra serpentina = Cheser).

It is always better to record more information than you think might be necessary. You should make sure that you always write clearly and legibly – others will likely need to read and understand your field notes. When your work in the Turtle Research Laboratory is complete (i.e., your project is over), your field notes will remain in the Turtle Research Lab for future reference by other herpetologists. You may make photocopies of your field notes to take with you if you wish.

Localities -

It is imperative that localities be recorded accurately in your field notes, on animal tags, and in the appropriate databases. Always list the county first, then an accurate description of the location, (GPS coordinates - see below). Always write the locality so that someone can read it and go stand in that spot 50 years later. Never use words such as "from", "near", etc. Always use precise distances in specific directions from specific points of reference that will be there for a long time (e.g., major road intersections).

Global Positioning Systems -

When you go into the field, you should always take one of the Garmin hand-held Global Positioning Systems so that you can record GPS coordinates for each observation/capture. The WAAS corrected units (i.e., Garmin Legends) are more accurate (most of the time) and should be used for all telemetry work and other research that requires very accurate positions. The global positioning systems care in the Turtle Research Lab and should be returned after use. You should not alter the GPS settings. GPS coordinates should be recorded for every observation/capture. GPS coordinates are essential for mapping of animal localities in a geographical information system (GIS), such as ArcGIS. The Garmin GPS systems are relatively easy to use, but if you are unsure of how to properly use them, please ask Dr. Koukl or an experience turtle lab member.

Animal Identification - When working in the field, it is imperative that you correctly identify to genus and species all amphibians and reptiles that you record in your field notes, datasheets, etc. To facilitate proper identification, several field guides have been provided in the laboratory. These field guides can be taken into the field if needed and should be returned when you are done. Additionally, a web site (Texas Amphibians and Reptiles) is available at http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/ If you are not

absolutely sure of the identification of the amphibians and reptiles you observe or capture, you should return them to the laboratory to receive assistance.

Animals in Field -

One of the most important aspects of the Turtle Research Laboratory are the ongoing mark-recapture studies of turtles at the Camp Tyler Study Site, the UT Tyler Campus and surrounding neighborhoods. All turtles encountered in the field must be recorded in your field notes. Correct identification often requires animals to be captured. Collecting turtles in the field, though often hard work, can be a very fun and rewarding experience! It is important that some general guidelines be followed:

Many turtles often bite when captured. In most circumstances these bites are of minimal consequence to the herpetologist. However, care should always be taken when capturing snapping turtles or other large turtles that can bite hard.
No turtle research lab student should ever attempt to capture a venomous snake. If a snake is in a turtle or basking trap it can be removed either with a snake hook or by itself.
When capturing herps, care should always be taken not to harm them. When in the field, you should house animals in appropriate containers. Turtles can usually be housed in snake or turtle bags or large plastic buckets. No animal should ever be left in the sun or a parked car, even for a short period of time.

LABORATORY RESEARCH

Everyone that works in the Turtle Research Laboratory is expected to help keep the lab clean and organized. All equipment and supplies should be returned to their proper location after use, all animal containers should be cleaned after use, and all trash, etc. should be promptly thrown away. Desktops, countertops, and sinks should be cleaned if they are dirty. Visitors to the Turtle Research Laboratory are welcome for short visits, but you should be with them at all times.

Laboratory Computers

The computers in the Turtle Research Laboratory are for use only by students working on turtle research projects. No unauthorized person is allowed to use the Turtle Research Laboratory computers. You are encouraged to save your files within an appropriately named. You are responsible to back up these files to your network space or onto suitable backup media (e.g., CDR or your flash drive)

Do not install any programs on the Turtle Research Laboratory computers without permission. You should take care to organize your folders and files on the computer carefully and name files and folders appropriately so that you can easily keep track of file versions, file locations, etc.

Tissues

As part of the mark recapture studies, we are also collecting tissues from some

animals. Tissue is collected from all turtles by removing a couple of millimeters of tail tip. Turtle tissues should be identified by their code written on the tissue vial. All tissue vials should have: species, date, number or code and should be stored in the appropriate place.

Reprints

To help research students have quick access to his reprint collection, Dr. Koukl has located it in the file cabinets in the Turtle Research Laboratory. All reprints are organized by author's last name. Before you use any reprints, you must get permission from Dr. Koukl and have him show you how to file the reprints. After use, you must return them properly to their correct folder. Do not remove reprints from the Turtle Research Laboratory without permission. Because these databases are incomplete, it is imperative that you do not rely on them for your entire literature search. You should use Biological Abstracts and other databases in the library to find articles related to your project not recorded in the databases mentioned above. UT Tyler’s librarians are very willing and able to help you with these.

Animals in Lab

If you bring an animal into the laboratory, it is your responsibility to make sure that it is housed properly in the lab, appropriately tagged, measured and marked if appropriate, its holding container kept clean, and released within a few days of capture. All animals should be released as close as possible to their capture site. All animals brought into the laboratory, whether dead or alive, must have an animal tag filled out. Turtles should be housed in large bins in which you are sure they cannot escape. Put about 2 cm of water in each bin and slightly tilt containers by placing something (e.g., a bin lid) underneath one end of the bin. This will allow turtles have access to a dry area. Do not put turtles in snake bags because they will tear them up with their claws. Turtles can sometimes climb out of bins.

Turtle Studies

Turtles offer a number of advantages for detailed, long-term studies in addition to short term (semester-length) projects. Turtles are easy to capture, long lived, easy to mark and measure, easy to maintain in captivity, and fun to work with. The success of current and future turtle projects is dependent on accurate data collection by all personnel.

Before you may begin a turtle study, you must learn how to properly mark and measure turtles from either Dr. Koukl or an experienced student. Reading these instructions is not adequate training for marking turtles.

Setting Aquatic Turtle Traps

Turtle traps should be positioned such that part of the trap is about 6-10 inches above water. The front end of the trap should be in deeper water, so aquatic turtles can easily swim into the trap openings. Traps should also be prevented from rolling into deep water by tying a rope to the traps and attaching them at shore with a stake or by tying them to a tree. Another option is to stake the traps to the bottom of the pond with a stick. Generally, we use slightly opened cans of sardines to bait turtle traps. Traps should be re-baited with fresh sardines every 4 days of a trapping session.

Checking Turtle Traps

Turtle traps can be checked every day but must be checked at least every two days. Release fish captured in the traps. Use care when handling mud turtles, soft shell turtles, and snapping turtles, as they frequently bite. Do not hold mud turtles by the front half of shell (they bite). Lift snapping turtles by grabbing the back end of the carapace. You may also want to grab a leg. Do not lift large snappers by the tail because you can damage their vertebrae. Captured turtles should have their codes recorded in a field book. Turtles caught within the previous month may be released upon capture but their code should be recorded in a field book and later entered in the turtle database.

Turtle Codes

We use the marginal scutes as a coding system when marking turtles (Fig. 1, 2, 3). Most Emydid turtles and snapping turtles have 12 marginal scutes on each side. Kinosternids generally have 11 on each side. However, some turtles have more or less. Marginal scutes should always be counted on both sides before marking any turtle.When marking turtles or reading turtle codes, the top marginal scutes (on either side of the nuchal) will always be A and X. The most posterior two along the midline are always L and M (or K and L if it is a mud or musk turtle, Kinosternon or Sternotherus). Reading the codes this way will eliminate any problems associated with turtles having abnormal numbers of marginal scutes. All turtles that have not been measured and marked within the past month should be returned to the laboratory for processing. Several specimens of the same species can be placed in a single small cloth bag (not snake bag). The cloth bags should then be placed in one of the large canvas bags. Turtles from different localities should never be placed in the same bag. Snapping turtles should always be kept in a separate canvas bag from other turtles and only one should be placed in each bag or bin. All bags should be securely tied at the top with draw strings. Always keep track of how many turtles you have placed in the bags so you can be sure none have escaped.

Turtles in the Lab

Proper care should always be taken in the laboratory to assure turtles are housed properly and marked and measured carefully. When you first bring a turtle into the laboratory, you must fill out an animal tag for each bin in which you place turtles (on the animal tag, indicate how many individuals are in each bin) and tape it on the bin. You may abbreviate scientific name of species by writing the first three letters of genus and the first three letters of species (i.e. Kinosternon subrubrum would be Kinsub). House all turtles in bins containing about an inch of water. Several individuals of the same species may be housed in the same bin. However, specimens from different localities should never be housed together. The water in these bins will need to be changed frequently (most likely, once a day). The large bins with locking lids should be used for all adult snapping turtles.

Data Collection

All turtles brought to lab should be marked and measured, and other

information relevant to current studies should also be collected. Currently, turtle data is entered online as an animal is being processed.

1. Sex determination.

Box turtles: Females have a flat plastron, duller colors, and a more domed shape carapace. Males have a more concave plastron, brighter eye and skin colors, and a more oblong shaped carapace. In general the males have thicker tails while females have shorter thinner tails.

Mud turtles: Males have larger and longer tails.

Red eared slider turtles: Males have longer fingernails on forefeet and the tail is longer.

2. Age.

Turtles are aged in a similar way as trees. You can count the rings (annuli) on the scutes of their plastron and carapace. Look at several different scutes because some of

them may be clearer, and easier to read, than others. Use theconfidence scale to indicate how confident you are in your ageestimate (0 = not able to age turtle…3 = very confident). It is likely that you will not be able to age mature painted turtles, snapping turtles, and some mud turtles because the annuli become worn and faded with time. If you can not determine the age, record “0" for the confidence and “old” for the age. You should always get a “blind” opinion from another person on the age of each turtle.

3. Marking.

See description of how to read codes above. Most turtles are marked by filing notches into their marginal scutes. Adult snapping turtles and other large turtles (adult Trachemys and Pseudemys) can be marked with an electric drill. The keratin that builds up on the file may need to be cleaned periodically with the wire brush. Use nail clippers to mark very small turtles. Before you mark a turtle, you must choose a code from the species-specific code sheet. Cross off the code and write down the current date immediately after crossing out the code turtle.

4. Mass.

A top-loading balance is available in the laboratory to weigh most turtles to the nearest 0.1g. Large snappers can be weighed with the large Pesola spring scales. When weighing large turtles using the spring scales, never hold them at a height where they could fall and hurt themselves. Always hold them over a table or counter. Also be sure that your legs are not within reach of the turtle (snappers have a long reach and are not happy being upside down).

5. Measuring dimensions.

Several dimensions of the turtle’s shell must be measured. Use calipers (large or small, depending on turtle size) to measure carapace length (along the straight midline of the carapace), plastron length (along a straight midline of the plastron), maximum shell width, and maximum shell depth. Take all measurements to the nearest 1 mm. Measure the carapace length of painted turtles from the tip of the nuchal to the back of the carapace. Take the same measurements to the nearest 1 mm using small calipers when measuring mud turtles and box turtles. For recaptures, comparisons with previous measurements will help to verify accuracy of current measurements. When measuring mud turtle plastron length always measure along a center midline. This means that you may include portions of the anal scutes that extend posteriorly in the length measurements. Also, for any turtle with a hinged plastron (i.e., box turtles, mud turtles), be sure to measure the plastron length when the plastron is flat. You may need to pull the anterior end up slightly or you may need to measure the anterior and posterior ends separately and then take the sum.

6. Photographs.

Use a digital camera to photograph the carapace and plastron of each turtle. A piece of paper with the turtle code, species, and date of capture should be beside each turtle when photographed. Download all images with appropriate dates and identification onto iphoto or other photo capture program.

7. Comments section.

There are various things that should be noted in the “Comments” section of the data sheets. Look for any other unusual characteristics (i.e., shell abnormalities, split or joined scutes, stubby tail, missing appendages or toes, etc. that may later be helpful during identification). You should also check the container for any food items present in feces. Note any of these observations in the comments section. Also, you should record in this section whether or not you can feel eggs. You can check for eggs by sticking your pinky fingers in the region just anterior to the hind legs of female turtles and feel for round, hard surfaces.