Activity, Growth, Reproduction, and Population Structure of Desert Box Turtles (<i>Terrapene ornata luteola</i>) at the Northern Edge of the Chihuahuan Desert

Germano, David J.

doi:10.2744/ccb-1044.1

Chelonian Conservation and Biology

2014

DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1044.1

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Activity, Growth, Reproduction, and Population Structure of Desert Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata luteola) at the Northern Edge of the Chihuahuan Desert

David J. Germano¹

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Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 26 publications

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“…In support, Blair (1976) found 2 31-yr-old males and a 32-yr-old female in Texas, USA, and concluded that the population completely turned over every 32 yrs. However, Christiansen et al (2004) documented a wild female in southeastern Iowa, USA, that was at least 37 yrs old and Germano (2014) estimated that 3 individuals lived over 40 yrs in New Mexico, USA. More recently, Lewis and Iverson (2018) presented data indicating that some turtles lived over 50 yrs and suggested that some could even survive beyond 60 in Nebraska, USA.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Longevity Estimates of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) in Iowa

Bernstein,

McCollum,

VanDeWalle

et al. 2024

Chelonian Conservation and Biology

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Longevity Estimates of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) in Iowa

Bernstein,

McCollum,

VanDeWalle

et al. 2024

Chelonian Conservation and Biology

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Peripheral hearing sensitivity is similar between the sexes in a benthic turtle species despite the larger body size of males

Wang,

Yang,

Lei

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity has evolved in many vertebrate species, and the sex with a larger body size typically shows more sensitive hearing. However, generalizing this association is controversial. Research on sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity contributes to an understanding of auditory sense functions, adaptations, and evolution among species. Therefore, the hypothesized association between body size and hearing needs further validation, especially in specific animal groups. In this study, we assessed hearing sensitivity by measuring auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) in both sexes of 3‐year‐old Chinese softshell turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis). In this species, male bodies are larger than those of female, and individuals spend most of their lives in the mud at the bottom of freshwater habitats. We found that for both sexes, the hearing sensitivity bandwidth was 0.2–0.9 kHz. Although males were significantly larger than females, no significant differences in ABR thresholds or latencies were found between males and females at the same stimulus frequency. These results indicate that P. sinensis hearing is only sensitive to low‐frequency (typically <0.9 kHz) sound signals and that sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity is not a trait that has evolved in P. sinensis. Physiological and environmental reasons may account for P. sinensis acoustic communication via low‐frequency sound signals and the lack of sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity in these benthic turtles. The results of this study refine our understanding of the adaptation and evolution of the vertebrate auditory system.

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Evaluating population persistence of ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata) at the northeast edge of their distribution

Edmonds,

Adamovicz,

Allender

et al. 2023

Wildlife Biology

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Turtles and tortoises are among the most threatened vertebrate groups. Their life history is characterized by delayed sexual maturity and a long lifespan, making populations susceptible to decline following perturbations. Despite the urgent conservation need, we are missing estimates of basic demographic traits for many species and populations. The ornate box turtle Terrapene ornata is a species lacking crucial demographic data. Many populations are isolated in fragmented habitats, especially in the eastern portion of their range. We carried out long‐term capture–mark–recapture surveys on two isolated populations in northern Illinois to estimate population vital rates and project population persistence with deterministic stage‐based matrix models. Using 34 years of data, we estimated adult female survival = 0.974 (95% CI: 0.946–0.988) and juvenile survival = 0.867 (95% CI: 0.688–0.951) at our most intensively surveyed site. At a second site using eight years of data, we estimated adult female survival = 0.897 (95% CI: 0.783–0.954) and juvenile survival = 0.844 (95% CI: 0.551–0.960). Despite seemingly high annual survival rates, populations declined under population projections using mean vital rates. Population growth was most sensitive to adult survival, with increasing sensitivity under more pessimistic scenarios. Our results highlight the importance of long‐term demographic studies for threatened species and demonstrate protecting adult female ornate box turtles is critical for ensuring populations persist at the northern edge of their distribution.

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Activity, Growth, Reproduction, and Population Structure of Desert Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata luteola) at the Northern Edge of the Chihuahuan Desert

Cited by 6 publications

References 26 publications

Longevity Estimates of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) in Iowa

Longevity Estimates of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) in Iowa

Peripheral hearing sensitivity is similar between the sexes in a benthic turtle species despite the larger body size of males

Evaluating population persistence of ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata) at the northeast edge of their distribution

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