Mofometric measure.

Balkan Terrapin is on the List of protected plants and animals of Montenegro. Two main causes of that decline of this species are climate changes and drying out of the habitats in Mediterranean and Submediterranean area. This project aims to gather precise information about potential habitats of Balkan Terrapin on Montenegrin coast, and also we will describe in detail the habitat characteristics, and gather tissue samples for DNA research. One of the main purposes of monitoring is to acquire sufficient information about the structure of the populations so the correct measures can be proposed in preserving and maintaining the necessary numbers of individuals needed to secure their viability (minimum viable population).

Our aim is to detect the problems these populations face so we could focus our activities on resolving them in the following years, 2013–2016, through larger scale project. We will give lectures about the Balkan Terrapin in several schools and on the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences – Department for Biology, in Podgorica. We also plan the meeting of regional expert groups (in Budva, Montenegro, in October 2013) for the research and protection of the Balkan Terrapin in the Balkan Peninsula, to which we will also invite decision markers. Three seven-day field trips will be held, total 21 day. We will also have three live broadcasts on local radio stations (Herceg Novi, Budva and Ulcinj) with a goal to inform local communities of the project activities and results. Our work will also be presented on national TV (several 5–10 min. reports).