Amelioration of the Freshwater Turtle Breeding and Rehabilitation Station in Varanasi, India

Talukdar, Animesh; Sengupta, Debaprasad; Mallapur, Gowri; Hussain, Syed Ainul; Malik, P. K.; Nigam, Parag

doi:10.17161/randa.v26i2.14397

Cited by 2 publications

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“…It was created to reestablish the population of the Indian Soft-shell Turtle ( Nilssonia gangetica ), a species that has faced sharp declines. Since its inception in 1989 as a rearing and release centre for the Ganges Softshell Turtle, the centre has diversified into a rehabilitation facility for rescued freshwater turtles and rearing of hatchlings of rescued eggs for multiple species of freshwater turtles [ 31 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such data on morphometric variation have been recorded in select Chelonian studies [ 29 ]. Morphometric measurements play an essential role in the assessment of growth patterns and the physiological state of individuals [ 16 , 30 ] and form the basis for evaluating the fitness status of individuals in rescue situations where other diagnostic tools may not be available [ 31 ]. Digital image processing is of particular relevance in the management of rescued chelonians as the technique is non-invasive and enables the rapid processing of a large number of animals that are often received in rescue [ 31 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Digital image processing: A new tool for morphological measurements of freshwater turtles under rehabilitation

Panda,

Verma,

Srivastav

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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Freshwater fauna is facing an uphill task for survival in the Ganga Basin, India, due to a range of factors causing habitat degradation and fragmentation, necessitating conservation interventions. As part of the ongoing efforts to conserve the freshwater fauna of the Basin, we are working on rehabilitating rescued freshwater chelonians. We carry out various interventions to restore rescued individuals to an apparent state of fitness for their release in suitable natural habitats. Morphometric measurements are crucial to managing captive wild animals for assessing their growth and well-being. Measurements are made using manual methods like vernier caliper that are prone to observer error experience and require handling the specimens for extended periods. Digital imaging technology is rapidly progressing at a fast pace and with the advancement of technology. We acquired images of turtles using smartphones along with manual morphometric measurements using vernier calipers of the straight carapace length and straight carapace width. The images were subsequently processed using ImageJ, a freeware and compared with manual morphometric measurements. A significant decrease in the time spent in carrying out morphometric measurements was observed in our study. The difference in error in measurements was, however, not significant. A probable cause for this may have been the extensive experience of the personnel carrying out the measurements using vernier caliper. Digital image processing technology can cause a significant reduction in the stress of the animals exposed to handling during measurements, thereby improving their welfare. Additionally, this can be used in the field to carry out morphometric measurements of free-ranging individuals, where it is often difficult to capture individuals, and challenges are faced in obtaining permission to capture specimens.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%