Laurenţiu Rozylowicz: Project Update December 2006

Tortoise with radiotransmitter

Starting with May 2006, 7 ATS R1930 transmitters have been installed on tortoises from Eselnita – Mehedinti County. Simultaneous, 60 DS1921G temperature sensors have been installed in the tortoise area.

The sensors were installed on 8 tortoises (out of them 7 had transmitter), on soil surface and in soil at a 20 cm, in characteristic habitats from: Bazia?, Divici, Coronini – Sfânta Elena, Câr?ie, Gornea, Svini?a, E?elni?a, ?arov??,
Stârmina and ?isesti. The preliminary data indicate that tortoise territory had an average of 0,87 ha for males and 1,39 ha for females. Right now, the tortoises entered the sleep-hibernation season, so by April we will develop the draft version of the habitat suitability index.

Within the activity concerning the proposal of new areas to be included under protection a first discussion took place on August 15th, 2006 with the representatives of the Iron Gates Park Administration and Caras-Severin and
Mehedinti Environmental Protection Agencies. The next meeting will take place in February, when a concrete proposal regarding the protection area for Hermann's tortoise shall be included on the agenda. The layout of the A2
poster entitled Hermann's tortoise – a protected species has been made and a meeting within the Divici town school has been performed.

In January – April we will focus on the educational campaign, the fieldwork activities being stopped during the sleep-hibernation season.