Turtle Tracking

If scientists and researchers are studying the migratory patterns of box turtles and giant tortoises, then they need some way to track these reptiles and their movement. This is where GPS tags come into play. The same GPS tags that are being used by the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in the Galapagos Islands are also being used on the Saint Louis box turtles.

But, exactly how do these tags work? These tags are made by a German company called e-obs Digital Telemetry. The tags have five main components: a GPS unit, an accelerometer, a memory chip, a radio beacon used for radio-tracking, and a wireless communications device. Because of the wireless communications device, the tracker is able to upload stored data to a handheld base station. The components of the tracker are all encased in a tough epoxy and then glued to the tortoise's carapace, or shell. The tags collect latitude and longitude coordinates every hour, while the accelerometer measures changes in orientation in three axes: left to right, up and down, and side to side. The overall idea is that these GPS trackers that are attached to the shell of the reptiles will hopefully give researchers an idea of tortoise and box turtle movements around the clock. 

Figure 1: Researcher attaching GPS tracker to the shell of a tortoise.

Figure 2: A box turtle with a GPS tracker attached to its shell.

Information from: GiantTortoise.org

Pictures from: Google Images

Movement Ecology

Movement ecology refers to the idea that as the environment changes, animals migrate to accommodate the environmental changes. For example, in the Galapagos Islands, introduced species and humans have changed the environment greatly, whether by destroying vegetation or destroying habitats for the tortoises. As a result of this, the tortoises slowly migrated to different islands, leading each group of tortoises to evolve differently based on the needs of their new environments. Scientists believe the same phenomenon is happening in Forest Park of St. Louis, Missouri. The park used to be more rural, but as the city of St. Louis continues to expand, the environment of Forest Park is changing. Highway traffic, pedestrians, and even dogs are threatening the environments of the box turtles. As a result, less and less box turtles are found in Forest Park, and scientists are researching whether or not the decrease in box turtles in Forest Park is due to movement ecology, like in the case of the Galapagos giant tortoises.

Figure 1: Overhead view of Forest Park in St. Louis, MO
Picture from: Google Images

Figure 2: Overhead view of the Galapagos Islands
Picture From: Google Images