Softshell Turtle Tracking *plenty of pics*

[Removed_2815]

Hello all,
I am temporarily back from three weeks of Softshell Turtle tracking (as well as various other herp related tasks) for my Masters project; I head back out on Monday.
Nesting is just about finished so I should be just about done attaching transmitters to new turtles, I just need some more males now...
Here are some of the photos I have taken over the past few weeks.
Enjoy!

A Softshell Turtle (Apalone s. spinifera) nest:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%20Eggs.JPG

Entire clutch (25 eggs):
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%20Clutch.JPG

A close-up of an egg:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%20Egg.JPG

Clutch reburied in a safer location with a nest protector:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Nest%20Cage.JPG

A 5.2 kg Gravid Female:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell.JPG
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%201.JPG
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%202.JPG
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%203.JPG
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%20Close.JPG

A Softshell about to be processed (measured, weighed, etc):
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%20Process.JPG

A Softshell about to be released (notice the transmitter antenna):
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%20in%20Hand.JPG

A 6.7kg Gravid Female showing off her new transmitter:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%20Transmitter.JPG

The tracking process, usually done by boat but sometimes on land:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Tracking%20Softshells.JPG

A Habitat shot:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Softshell%20Habitat.JPG

Cheers,
Ryan

[Ontario_herper]

Great shots! Were you out with Scott?

Female softies are so attractive ;)

How many softshells are being tracked at this particular location?

[Removed_2815]

Scott is not involved with the Softshell Turtle tracking, however, he was with us for the first few weeks conducting his general herp surveys. Our transmitters were very late getting to us so I was with Scott for a few days surveying Fox snakes, Map Turtles, and anything we could get our hands on.
He left last Wednesday to help out with the wedding plans. I think he'll be popping in sporadically at the end of August to check on the caged nests for his fly depredation work.
We have 6 turtles outfitted with the transmitters that we only just received last Saturday. I need two more females and two males.
Cheers,
Ryan

[Ontario_herper]

Males could be tough this late in the year. Depends how different that population is...

Have fund and good luck, they can be tough to track!

[Removed_2815]

We were still finding males a week ago (before we had transmitters) and we have a hoop net that we will set up in a channel if it comes to that. I hope to have all the transmitters on within the next week or so.
So far we have managed to get signals from all of the girls. We have one female who travelled about 7000-8000m in a single night...
Ryan

[Wu-Gwei]

Thanks for sharing. Nice looking female spinifera.:)


Cheers,
JJ;)

[Removed_2815]

edit:
...oops, sorry, I meant to edit a post and ended up hitting the "quote" button by mistake...