Program areas at Turner Conservation Trust Wilmington Trust - Suzanne Markman
Bolson tortoiseto prevent the extinction of bolson tortoises in the wild, we are working to establish free-ranging populations on theladder and armendaris ranches in new mexico. These ranches lie at the northern tip of the species' prehistoric range. The largest and rarest of the six north american tortoise species, the bolson tortoise once ranged throughout most of the chihuahuan desert, but its current range comprises only a small area in north central mexico where the states of durango, chihuahua, and coahuila meet. We aim to establish free-ranging, minimally managed, wild bolston tortoise populations in the northern chihuahuan desert. During the next 20 years, we will use captive breeding to produce juveniles to build a large captive population of bolson tortoises. Population decline, and range contraction are due to collection for food as well as habitat loss. Additional detailed information is available upon request.
Black footed ferrettesf is a member of the executive committee of the black-footed ferret recovery implementation team (bffrit).the executive team includes representatives from 40 organizations that represent federal, state, tribal, non-profit, and international entities. Threats to black-footed ferrets include disease, habitat loss, and related declines in prey. Conversion of native grasslands to agriculutral land, widespread prairie dog eradication programs, and non-native diseases, such as plague, have reduced ferret populations to less than 2% of their orginal range. Black-footed ferrets are one of the most endangered mammals in north america and are the only ferret species native to the continent.additional detailed information is available upon request.
Rocky mountain gray wolfover the next five years we will locate and identify predator-killed prey and analyze wolf scats to determine predation characteristics of the wolf population on theflying d ranch. All carcasses will be evaluated for cause of death, body condition and any predisposition to predation by classifying femur marrow and boiling legbones and jaws to identify arthritis or injuries.during this time, we will monitor the flying d's wolf population to track bison herd health, herd size, and the resident elk and deer population. Knowledge of these dynamics and the practicality of living with wolves on a working landscape will be shared by conducting tours for visiting guests. The ranch practices and ecologically sustainable management style which also benefits the persistence of large carnivores. We can maintain a healthy wolf population on the ranch by understanding food habits and prey health.additional detailed information is available upon request.