Pomona canal: Deadly trap and geographic barrier for the Argentine Land Tortoise. Mitigation proposals

ECHAVE, MARIA EUGENIA; VILLAGRÁN MATÍAS; KUBISCH, ERIKA

Nueva Mexico

Simposio; International Herpetological Symposium; 2021

Chiricahua Desert Museum, International Herpetological Symposium

The Argentinean land tortoise, Cheloniosis chilensis, is the southernmost continental tortoise in the world. This species is considered vulnerable nationally and internationally. The southernmost C. chilensis population is subject to different threats such as fire, predation by dogs and wild boars, and trampling by cattle. But the most conspicuous threat is the Pomona water canal, a 187-kilometer-long concrete-made canal that crosses the Patagonian plateau, supplying San Antonio Oeste and Las Grutas cities, both located on the Eastern side of the Province of Río Negro. We found high numbers of drowned individuals that had fallen into and died inside of the canal across the seasons. Also, the canal would act as an ecological and physical barrier along its 187 kilometers, preventing wildlife´s natural movements and dispersal. Our main goal was to determine the Pomona canal´s effect on the tortoise population, in order to reduce its negative impact.