COS 288-5 - Using chemical analysis of claws to distinguish between wild and captive wood turtles

Thursday, August 10, 2023

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM PDT

Location: B114

Presenting Author(s)

JH

John B. Hopkins

President & Associate Professor
Center for Wildlife Studies
Camden, Maine, United States

Coauthor(s)

JF

Jake Ferguson

University of Kentuck, United States
CF

Cheryl Frederick

Researcher
Center for Wildlife Studies, Maine, United States
DY

Derek York

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, United States
EP

Erik Pollock

University of Arkansas, United States
MC

Matthew Chatfield

Assistant Professor
University of Maine, United States

Abstract: The environments and diets of individuals from different populations, including animals raised in the wild versus captivity, can vary greatly. As such, the ratios of stable isotopes and the elemental concentrations among these groups can also differ. In this study, we used four stable isotope ratios and 20 elemental markers derived from the claw tips of wild wood turtles from Maine and captive wood turtles throughout the eastern U.S. to develop a predictive model used to classify confiscated wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) as wild or captive and to determine their geographic origins. The purpose of our study is to provide law enforcement with a wildlife forensics tool that could be used to put poachers behind bars and to repatriate wild turtles. We found that the claw tips of wild and captive wood turtles had unique chemical signatures. Our model correctly classified all wild turtles as wild and correctly predicted their origins. Our next step is to develop a multi-species model to assist conservation law enforcement efforts to curb illegal turtle trafficking from locations across the eastern United States and Canada.