Protecting the Moorish Turtle in Murcia

At this time, Ideas MedioAmbiental began prospecting for the presence of blackberry turtles (Testudo graeca) in the areas affected by the works to improve the supply to Goñar, in the municipality of Puerto Lumbreras (Murcia)

The purpose of monitoring the populations of the blackberry turtle will be to verify the presence of this chelonium in the layout of the works, so, if the turtle is detected, appropriate measures will be taken to avoid and minimize the impact on the individuals detected.

It is an ectothermic species (its temperature is decisively influenced by the ambient temperature), and heliothermic; which means that they use the sun as their main source of heat energy, either through direct exposure to sunlight (insolation) or indirect (heating by convection through the ground), so in the first months of work, the surveys will be carried out during hibernation, focusing the study on the physiognomy of the habitat. T. graeca prefers more or less flat places (although never large plains) and mountains with gentle slopes where the plant is based on small shrubs and scrub (Stipa sp., Artemisia sp., Rosmarinus sp., Thymus sp., Brachypodium sp., Helianthemun sp.) where there is low vegetation cover fleeing forest and repopulation areas as well as from rainfed crops typical of the region. However, it is not surprising that it is found in areas attached to small rainfed arboreal (almond) crops and natural forest patches.

It prefers soft soils where turtles can excavate their beds and lay, fleeing from excessively stony and marshy soils, since they are too compacted and poorly structured to lay, so they do not allow adequate gas and water exchange of eggs.

• The protocol to be followed for the surveys will be as follows: Carrying out road vehicle tours, in which all individuals of turtles found to be deposited in areas where work previously indicated by Dir technicians will not be carried out. General for the Environment of the Region of Murcia

• Walking surveys on the route in the areas affected by the action. The surveys will be carried out on roads when they exist and cross country since there are no roads in the area of action.

• The surveys will be carried out during days without rain or wind and that have been preceded by at least two sunny days, without morning mists, mild, without wind, rain or fog, to ensure that the animals have been active and have therefore left traces or are possible to detect them visually. They can be done at any time of the day, as long as there is enough natural light to clearly see the fingerprints. Each transect will be repeated twice, with a minimum interval of at least 10 days, during the turtle's peak activity season, from mid-February to late April.

• Areas with the presence of turtles will be marked to avoid affecting them.

In addition, the construction company Dragados, S.A. (Grupo ACS) has asked us to carry out environmental surveillance and monitoring of the above-mentioned works, as well as to control and archaeological supervision of them.