Reinforcement as a conservation tool – assessing site fidelity and movement of the endangered elongated tortoise Indotestudo elongata (Blyth, 1854)

Abstract

In order to assess the efficacy of reinforcement as a conservation tool for rehabilitated elongated tortoises Indotestudo elongata (Blyth, 1854) we released 10 adults equipped with radio tracking transmitters to the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Cambodia. Based on short-term success indicators for reintroduction studies on reptiles we studied the tortoises’ adaptation to the new environment for five months. The tortoises successfully settled in the new environment without showing adverse effects regarding their behaviour, condition index (CI) and physical appearance. The annual survival rate was 76%. Based on individual locations collected, we analysed the tortoises’ movement patterns including daily displacement, five-month and seasonal home range sizes using minimum convex polygons (MCPs) and fixed kernel density estimators (KDEs).