Jason Keyes and James Koukl

Animal reintroductions are occasionally employed for endangered or threatened species in order to reestablish a viable, free-ranging population. Acclimation of animals at the release site (soft release) has been used for many species, including swift fox (Vulpes velox), sand gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa), European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), and Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni). However, the effectiveness of this technique has not been directly studied. We compared different two groups of adult three-toed box turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis) that were provided different acclimation periods prior to release: hard-release (two weeks acclimation, n = 5) vs. soft-release (88 weeks acclimation, n = 5). These turtles were radio-tracked 3-4 times weekly. Home range size, both minimum convex polygon and kernel estimates, estimated with a Geographic Information System (GIS) showed no statistical difference between hard-released and soft-released groups. No statistical difference was seen in maximum distance moved (t = -0.28, P = 0.05), average distance moved (t = 1.12, P = 0.05), or linear distance (t = 0.74, P = 0.05) using the Student’s t-Test. Hard released turtles traveled greater total distances (t = 2.68, P = 0.05). These preliminary results, from a study in progress, suggest that acclimation period may not be important for repatriation of three-toed box turtles.
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