500 endangered reptiles to be monitored from satellite

ANKARA

Within the scope of a two-year project, the Environment and Urbanization Ministry will implant chips in some 500 endangered reptiles to monitor them from second to second through the satellite.

According to data obtained from the ministry’s General Directorate for the Preservation of Natural Heritage, the endangered animals are chameleons, turtles, Mertensiella luschanis, Ophimorus punctatissimus and Vipera kaznakovis.

“The animals are living in five private regions in [the southern province of] Antalya, [the southwestern province of] Muğla and [the Black Sea province of] Trabzon,” the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Sept. 15.

The authorities told the news agency that the chips would be implanted in reptiles at the early hours of the day when the body temperatures are at the lowest levels.

Thanks to a radar range finder system, the officials will be able to monitor the 500 reptiles from the satellite instantly.

According to the ministry, the monitoring process will be the most detailed work on reptiles ever done in the country.

The project, coordinated by Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum, will be a guide to the authorities about the factors changing reptile population, animals’ habitat choices and data about the effects of global warming on the endangered animals.

“At the end of the project, authorities will be able to detect the right ecological tunnels for endangered animals,” the news agency highlighted.

The project is a step to understand the human-animal relationship in the world, according to the agency’s report. “At the end of the project, the alternatives to secure the endangered species will be learned,” it said.

Separately, three new bird species have been found in a protected area of the southern province of Hatay this year.

With its natural beauties, the Milleyha wetland area of Samandağ district provides a natural habitat to migratory birds in the country’s south.

The wetland area hosts more than 280 bird species, including Streak-throated swallow, Dunn’s lark and Egyptian nightjar that were spotted for the first time in the area.

Mişel Atik, the head of the Samandağ Environmental Protection and Tourism Association, told Anadolu Agency that the area was of great importance since it attracted many rare bird species.

Emin Yoğurtçuoğlu, a birds observer, stated that the Milleyha area was one of Turkey’s most important wetlands.

“Streak-throated swallow came from India, Dunn’s lark came from the Arabian Peninsula while Egyptian nightjar stopped here while on its way to the Egyptian deserts. This is an indispensable stopover for all birds,” he added.

Highlighting that there are 10,800 different bird species in the world, Yogurtcuoglu said that out of a total of 490 bird species registered in Turkey, 283 are registered in Milleyha alone.

The wetland area would host more bird species if it is protected from human interference, he added.