The magnificent radiated tortoise has always been part of Madagascar s. rich history. Unfortunately, since 2008, this species has become critically

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1 Radiated Tortoise Abstract The magnificent radiated tortoise has always been part of Madagascar s rich history. Unfortunately, since 2008, this species has become critically endangered. Their beautiful shells are valued across the globe and this has made these tortoises a prime target for illegal poachers. One way to counteract this problem is to engrave symbols onto the tortoises shells. This non-invasive approach will dissuade poachers from killing the animals for their shells. The shells, made imperfect, will not sell as easily on the black market. My company, Loven the Tortoise, wishes for a Conservation Leadership Programme grant of $600.00, to engineer an engraving tool that will be more than seven times cheaper than previously used devices. Background Information The Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), native to the island of Madagascar is facing extinction within the next ten years if precautions are not taken to save this beautiful creature. Although these animals can outlive humans, and their ancestors have been alive to see the dinosaurs roam the earth, populations of Radiated Tortoises are currently in danger, losing 20% of its population in the last 25 years ( Astrochelys radiata, 2008). These tortoises are known for their magnificent shells adorned with golden streaks that resemble the morning sun s rays. It is no wonder that these shells are sold for hefty prices on Page 1 of 7

2 the international black market. Poachers selling overseas can collect up to $38,000 from a single tortoise shell, and can even make a few thousand dollars from selling a small hatchling s shell (Shukman. D, 2015). Efforts have been made to help these animals, and after being approved by the Prime Minister, a reservation has been set up in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar. This area is designated to the rehabilitation of the tortoise s populations. It is run by a nearby village s volunteers, and the animals are bred and taken care of in captivity ( Rare tortoises have their shell engraved, 2015). The people look after the radiated tortoises and some shells, in order to be easily tackable, are fitted with a radio tag. This area currently has about 360 tortoises within the reservation s boundaries. Sometimes, poachers manage to sneak their way past the guarded boundaries of the reservation and steal tortoises. This inspired the tortoise sanctuary to not only help the animals to repopulate in a safe environment, but also make permanent markings on the shells of the tortoises. They are hoping that damaged shells will not sell as well in the illegal trade business, making it less appealing for poachers to kill the animals. People make these permanent marks by grinding letters and numbers into the tortoise s shell. These engravings are several millimeters thick as to be clearly seen ( Rare tortoises have their shell engraved, 2015). A tortoise s top shell, called the carapace, is made of sturdy bone plates covered in keratin slabs called scutes. Keratin is the material that is similar to what hair and nails are made of. The inner bone allows for the structure of the tortoise shell to stay intact. The letters and numbers that are ingrained into the shell only reach through the keratin scutes Page 2 of 7

3 and do not hit any of the organism s sensitive nerves, making this procedure lowrisk, although the keratin is more susceptible to infections when breached ( Anatomy of the Turtle's Shell, n.d.). The engravings must be done at the top area of the shell, because as the animal grows, the shell grows outwards from the sides, which would disfigure any mark made on the growing area. Currently, this reservation is using Dremel engraving tools, which cost $68.89 for every device. Proposal Loven the Tortoise wishes to apply for a Conservation Leadership Programme grant of $ We will be manufacturing cheaper dremel tools to assist those in Madagascar who wish to help the Radiated Tortoise populations. These tools will engrave tortoises shells for a fraction of the previous cost. These new tools will be at least six times cheaper than previous used tools, such as the Dremel Cordless Rotary Tool sold by Dremel that have been previously used for carving symbols into the tortoise shells. Although grinding away the top layers of the carapace will not hurt the animal, this effort may be rejected by local environmentalists, as we will be damaging the shells off these beautiful creatures, but it is necessary for their survival. This animal is also protected by the Malagasy law (Decree 60126; October, 1960). The tool will be controllable so that puncturing further than the topmost layer of the shell will be difficult. Another problem we could face is not having enough volunteers to carry out these actions, so we will be primarily sending these tools to the National Reservations that have an abundance of tortoises within their borders and people who work to Page 3 of 7

4 help the animals. Design The body, as shown in this general diagram, will be printed with ABS plastic using a 3D printer. It is hollow on the inside allowing room for a micro electric drill press motor, with the motor attachments about 8 millimeters in diameter. These attachments will be protruding from the body at the tip, where rotary drill bits will be secured in. There will be a push button switch located on the side of the tool, and when activated, the motor will turn the drill bits and the engraving of the tortoise shells may begin. Manufacturing 3D printers are available without the use of outside companies. The amount of plastic required for this model would be on average $1.00. Each rotary drill bit costs $0.52 and they are not diamond drill bits, because using such a material on keratin would clog the bits and keep them from working to their full potential. Each motor is $5.90 with the drill attachments included (Aliexpress, 2016). Every device would require one 9 volt alkaline battery, which would be $1.19 (Amazon, 2016). Miscellaneous wires and solder for connections would be $0.50. In total every device would cost $9.11. Distribution would include shipping it overseas, with many devices in one box, sent primarily to Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar. Page 4 of 7

5 This device will be about 7.5 times cheaper than the original Dremel device that people in Madagascar were using. The device currently being used costs $68.81, so our project costs $59.70 less for each device (Amazon, 2016). There are about 1000 tortoises that need to be marked in the surrounding areas of Madagascar. Although females produce an average of 15 eggs per year, the populations are still steadily decreasing due to excessive poaching ( Astrochelys radiata, 2008). By 2020, within the reservation, there should be about 450,000 tortoises that can be released into the wild. More tools would be shipped into Madagascar as the years progressed, for there would be exponentially more tortoises to engrave every year. The first year, we would send in about 15 tools. By 2020, we should have about 50 tools available the reservation. This would allow some leeway in case a tool becomes damaged, and the tools will be available to all the volunteers. This would increase the rate at which the tortoises are engraved. If all the tortoises in the reservation had engravings, they would be safer from poachers, and they would be able to reproduce with a higher rate of survival after birth. The population would eventually be substantial enough to release back into the wild. We would continue to keep track of the newborn tortoises and make engravings into their shells, too. This project not saves the radiated tortoise, but it also sustains the biodiversity of the region and keeps an important part of Madagascar's history alive. Page 5 of 7

6 Works Cited Madagascar's Radiated Tortoise Could Disappear By (2010, April 5). Retrieved September 22, 2016, from Anatomy of the Turtle's Shell. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2016, from Astrochelys radiata (Radiated Tortoise). (2008). Retrieved September 22, 2016, from Lofgren, K. (2014, March 3). Conservationists Scar Shells to Protect Endangered Tortoises. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from Nuwer, R. (2014, January 20). Conservationist Are Resorting to Branding Endangered Tortoises. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from Doubleday, I. (2016). Protect Endangered Tortoise From Illegal Poaching. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from Radiated tortoise videos, photos and facts. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2016, from Rare tortoises have their shell engraved to survive. (2015, June 25). Retrieved September 22, 2016, from Shukman, D. (Ed.). (2015, June 24). Drastic action to save endangered tortoise. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from WCS Scholarships. (2016). Graduate Programs, and Grants - WCS.org. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from Materials to Purchase Sahagun, L. (2014, January 14). Rare tortoises are branded to make them unattractive to poachers. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from Drilling-bits-Tool-Twist-Drill-12V/ html Rotary-Tool/ html Switch/dp/B008DS1GY0/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid= &sr=1-1&keywords=button+electronic Page 6 of 7

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