Roti Snake Necks Versus International Wildlife Trade

One of my main concerns, as well as my major goal for this blog, is to focus on different effects that human behavior has on wildlife, resulting in its threat and endangerment. While I will focus primarily on broad-scale destructive behavior like pollution, agriculture, and habitat loss, this week I became interested in a lesser discussed and somewhat less obvious threat posed by humans on certain species.

First, meet the Roti Island Snake-necked turtle.

If you thought "that is weirdly adorable!" you had the correct response. 

The problem is that the turtles’ uniquely cute appearance have rendered them so desirable as exotic pets that humans have collected them to commercial extinction (meaning that there are no longer distributed enough to be "profitable" to us.)  While the species is only technically “threatened” by some accounts (due to their numbers in captivity) these guys are all but virtually extinct in their wilderness home in Indonesia (their relatives, the Timor snake-neck turtle of East Timor, shares a similar fate.) 

Rotis are narrowly distributed on the island of Rote, Indonesia:

(Yeah, I would want to stay there too...) 

Why is this important to us? Unlike animals threatened by poaching, those collected and distributed in the international pet trade can look forward to an almost certain continued existence of domestication; that is, if their status in current pet trends persist. Unlike poaching, which pushes hundreds of thousands of species to the brink of extinction in order to exploit them for their “parts”, illegal wildlife trade exploits critters at best for the subservient role of domesticated human companions and at worst as ornaments and accessories. But is this the kind of future we want for our wildlife?

Let’s talk about the snake neck for a moment.

The Roti Island snake-necked turtle (Chelodina mccordi) is endemic to Rote Island of Indonesia. It was recognized as a unique species in 1994, distinct from the New Guinea snake-necked turtle. They inhabit swamps, rice terraces, and small lakes where they are unfortunately harvested in large numbers for sale in Indonesia's exotic pet trade. They are classified as a critically endangered species on the IUCN's red list and their traffic in the international wildlife trade was made illegal in 2001 due to the turtle's rarity. Even with the prohibition, illegal capture of the Rotis persists. There are currently only two known wild populations left on Rote island. The only real threat these remaining turtles face are collection by humans or eventual dwindling numbers due to isolation. 

Ironically, one method conservationists have employed to spread awareness about illegal wildlife trade and smuggling is through international wildlife exchange between zoos. While there has been much debate on the efficacy of zoos in attitude change among visitors, It may be only through direct contact with these species that the legitimacy of their natural existence becomes palpable to many people. While that may be so, we also need to carefully examine our own beliefs regarding the secondary function of zoos and captivity programs in conservation efforts of endangered species: The belief that captive breeding of endangered species is an effective means of securing a population in the event of extinction.

Several issues arise with this assumption. Among them are arguments that exemplify the fact that captive breeding results in numerous instances of genetic mutations that may render a population inadequate at survival in the wilderness and unsuitable for reintroduction to natural habitats. That is, of course, if the cause of the extinction of the wild population was not a result of complete habitat loss. In that case, funds would most certainly be best suited at conserving the habitat itself and not in effort to breed a captive “back-up” population. Other heredity concerns of such a limited gene pool include the obvious threat of inbreeding to a population’s survival. Less obvious is the conundrum that those individuals best suited for survival in the wild are often the least likely to reproduce in breeding programs, and those most likely are often the least suitable for survival in the wild.

Please read more about this topic here.

This important issue parallels the threat of international wildlife trade of exotic pets. It has been shown time and time again that captive species are most successfully reintroduced into their natural habitats (providing they still exist) when they are natural born. Long term captive breeding programs that span generations of a given species' existence with the hope of eventual reintroduction are carried out on misguided assumptions and are an overall unsuccessful means of conservation. If this is true, then the critically “threatened” snake neck turtles of Rote Island are in fact as in danger of extinction as the more discussed endangered exotic species being trafficked in the illegal pet trade. They are in dire need of our help!

How can we help?

First, fight illegal international pet trade! NEVER buy exotic pets from endangered species. 

Report ads for such pets on pet trading sites and classified sites like craigslist. Put an end to the trafficking of endangered and over exploited species. Adopt a cat or dog from your local shelter instead!!! That, or for the adamantly committed,  consider adopting a vegan lifestyle that does not exploit any animals as pets. 

Learn more about wildlife trade:  http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/illegal-wildlife-trade

Join the campaign to stop illegal  wild life trafficking. 

Thanks!