ESTIMATING THE SIZES OF TERRESTRIAL TORTOISE POPULATIONS: TWO CASE STUDIES

Abstract

Attempts to determine the sizes of two tortoise populations (the geometric tortoise, Psammobates geometricus, population of the Elandsberg Private Nature Reserve and the southern padloper, Homopus areolatus population of the Harmony Rats Nature Reserve, using three methods (a Bayesian estimate, and both the Schnabel and Chomacher methods) are discussed. The micro-computer based Bayesian estimate is favoured.