TURTLES AND TORTOISES:CARAPAX project
RANA was invited by the EU Commission to launch a huge MEDSPA (Mediterranean Special Protection Action), named CARAPAX for the protection an reintroduction of Mediterranean Chelonians. It was elected as best MEDSPA fauna project by the EU.
Some 35 reintroduction actions for Nature were done, together with TORMED and national authorities in Italy, Spain, Greece, Albania, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Slovenia and Senegal. It concerned more than 20.000 Chelonians (5 tortoise species and subspecies, 3 fresh water species and the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta).
EUROPEAN TREEFROG (Hyla arborea)
Breeding in captivity treefrogs for RANA's reintroduction projects. The new generation is getting mature and start spawning.
EUROPEAN POND TURTLE
In the framework of LIFE EU projects 3 European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) reintroductions with CARAPAX captive bred stocks were done in Italy alone:
1.Parco delle Groane, in the former heavily dioxine spoiled Seveso area (Lombardy)
2.Parco dell’Adda Sud (Lombardy)
3.Bosco Nordio (Veneto)
Cooperations for reintroduction projects concerning the European pond turtles were in:
1.Tuscany (Central Italy)
2.Alsace, (Eastern France)
3.River Ticino area (Canton Ticino, Switzerland).
SNAKES: Leopard snakes
The Leopard snake (Zamenis situla), species of annex II of the EU Habitat Directive 92/43, lives in Southern Italy, Greece, Cremea and Southern Balcans. It's Europes' most beautifull snake. Therefore RANA started to breed the species for reintroduction in the wild.
In memoriam
Michiel Balvest passed away after a long illnes. He was the main breeder of the Leopard snake, and he gave in time, end 2022, his whole breeding stock to RANA. He understood as no other how to keep and treat this delicate beautifull snake. Thank you Michiel!
Hatching babies 2023
Fourlined snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata)
captive bred for reïntroduction purpuses since many years by RANA experts.
In Tuscany the reintroduction of four striped snakes (Elaphe quattuorlineata) of RANA’s
captive bred stock was successfully realised.
Fourlined snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata) Hatchling 2023
projects Fourlined snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata) Remarkable: clutch of 7 eggs with 8 babies, so frim 1 egg we got a couple of twins!
8 baby Italian fourlined snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata) are born, from 7 eggs, so 1 couple of twin babies.
Restauration of populations of Eyed lizards (Timon lepidus) in Italy and South Western France.
A reïntroduction programme is prepared for reïntroduction of Timon lepidus in protected aereas where the species is extinct last decades in Italy at the Eastern limit of distribution. In France we focus on the areas devastated by fires in 2021.
RANA never captures (rare) animals in the wild, but it reckons captive bred offspring. No adults are reintroduced as they adapt less easy, and the captive breeding needs also to be cost effective. The form we breed is the Southern french Timon lepidus lepidus
RANA uses specially designed greenhouses, to breed Timon lepidus and other reptiles
With special thanks to our sponsor JANSSENS ALU SYSTEMS, LIER , BELGIUM
DUCKS: White headed Duck reintroduction project.
A former EU-ACNAT project was re-launched after several problems of realisation in the past.
The project was a cooperation between Spain – Italy (region of Sardinia) and the executor was the Italian Bird Protection Society (LIPU). The White headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) was extinct in Sardinia before.
Parco Sulcis :Sardinian dwarf deer
Together with the WWF and the Sardinian region a programme of semi captive breeding and restocking as well as an anti poaching campaign in favour of the Sardinian dwarf deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus) was worked out over several years. At first the project was started at Monte Arcosu by WWF and later also in the Sulcis national Park in Sardinia. In a second phase reintroductions were done in Corsica (France), where the species got extinct before.
EGYPTIAN DESERT TORTOISE
A breeding programme was established in the CARAPAX Center with successful reproduction.
BEARS: ARCTUROS
An EU LIFE bear recovery, rescue and reintroduction project was prepared and supported in Greece. Another bear project was followed up for the Abbruzzi national park and the WWF.
WOLVES
Abbruzzi and Maiella National Parks. RANA experts helped to elaborate EU and national projects for the protection and expansion of the wolves (Canis lupus) in Italy.
BIRDS
Besides the White Stork, RANA reintroduced rescued birds in close cooperation with the Bird Protection Societies of Belgium, Italy: Hoopoo, Swallows, several Birds of Prey and others.
