Goannas Fitted with GPS Tracking Devices to Thwart their Turtle Egg-Stealing Shenanigans
2 Jun 2015University of Queensland (UQ) scientists are now placing GPS tracking devices on goannas in an attempt to find ways to get them to stop stealing and eating loggerhead turtle eggs.
A two-year new research project being led by UQ has been put in place to get a better understanding about the Wreck Rock Beach goannas’ responsibility in the predatory behavior of turtle nest egg stealing.
The UQ School of Biological Sciences team leader, Dr. David Booth, says these GPS tracking devices are helping to study goanna behavior and allowing the team to test devices and deterrents such as red flags, plastic mesh and pepper.
In fact, he goes on to say, “GPS tracking indicates that yellow spotted goannas are the main culprit”.
With some observation, it looks as though the first to attack a nest is the large yellow spotted goannas — since they have the persistence and the strength to really get deep down into the sand. After they have dug a tunnel leading to the eggs, the other smaller predators like the lace monitors and small yellow spotted goannas give it a go.
About the Goanna
The goanna is an Australian lizard that comes from the Varanus and certain Southeast Asia species. There are around 30 known goanna species today with 25 of them being located in Australia. They range in size and can become quite large and bulky. They are ideal predators with their razor sharp claws and teeth.
One idea of this project is to figure out if the nests are being invaded by a few of the large yellow spotted goannas. If this is the case, then they can be moved which will result in saving thousands more of the baby turtles.
The GPS tracking devices are not harmful to the animals and are not placed on them for very long.
Nearly $180,000 in funding was provided to this program through the Nest to Ocean Turtle Protection Program.
Although the team has been trying out deterrents like spooking predators with flags or spreading pepper over the nests, there was minimal success. In fact, the initial testing that was done through this project at
Wreck Rock Beach has proven particularly unsuccessful against goannas. Dr. Booth does offer hope by stating that plastic mesh is looking to be a little more promising. He says it’s easier to transport since it is lighter and easier to install than setting up an aluminum cage. Plus, if it’s set up correctly over the nest and hidden under sand, it is an efficient way of stopping goannas.
Goannas are now considered the main predators of turtle eggs and hatchlings and are potentially eating thousands of them each year. It is said by Christine Hof, Australia spokesperson, that the loggerhead turtles have been an endangered species all over the globe due to them dying from boat strikes, entanglement in fishing equipment, ingestion of marine debris and predation.
Although this problem has been eased a bit through fox-baiting and turtle exclusion devices being placed on nets, the goannas are not becoming the more serious issue of Australia’s nesting grounds in Wreck Rock Beach.
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