TPWD Wildlife Series: Texas Tortoise

TPWD Wildlife Series: Conservation genomics and disease ecology of the Texas Tortoise by Shawn McCracken

The Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) is the only tortoise species native to the state and can be found in the thornscrub savannas and woodlands of south Texas. The Texas tortoise is listed as threatened by the State of Texas, as pressures from habitat loss and disease are hypothesized to be driving population declines. Range-wide surveys in Texas for Texas Tortoises were conducted to collect blood samples and create a genome reference assembly resource, assess the genetic diversity of the tortoise population across the state, and identify disease dynamics for the bacterial pathogens, Mycoplasma agassizii and M. testudineum, which cause chronic upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) in tortoises. Insights from this study are now being applied to guide the reintroduction of Texas tortoises voluntarily surrendered through an amnesty program aimed at reducing illegal pet ownership.

Bio:

Jacquelyn Tleimat is a wildlife ecologist who has been passionate about the outdoors since childhood. She earned her bachelor’s in Wildlife Biology in 2017 and master’s in Wildlife Ecology in 2021 from Texas State University. Throughout her career she’s worked on research projects with beetles, frogs, rodents, bats, and primates. While not taxa-specific, she is passionate about conservation efforts. During her PhD at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, she studied disease ecology in Texas tortoises. That research is now used to inform decisions made for the Texas tortoise forfeiture program that she works with for her Post-doctoral Research Assistantship

Chris Robinson received his PhD from the university of Virginia after getting his bachelors and masters from Trinity University and the University of Central Arkansas, respectively. He uses genomic and physiological tools to study biological processes and apply them to conservation efforts. In his free time, Chris is found pointing out lizards to people who he is rock climbing with.

Shawn McCracken is an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. He received his bachelor’s and PhD from Texas State University, where he also served as a Postdoctoral research associate and research faculty. He lived for many years in Ecuador where he worked with the conservation organization Third Millennium Alliance. His research integrates field ecology, genetics, and technology to study biodiversity, conservation, and movement ecology across various taxa in Texas and Ecuador. He is passionate about mentoring students and engaging the public in conservation through outreach, citizen science, and collaborative environmental initiatives that connect people to wildlife and the ecosystems that sustain them.