Habitat Use and Activity Patterns of a Terrestrial Turtle (Rhinoclemmys rubida perixantha) in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest

Abstract

We report the results of a field study on Mexican Spotted Wood Turtles (Rhinoclemmys rubida perixantha) in a seasonally dry tropical forest of coastal Jalisco, Mexico. We used field surveys, trail spools, and radio telemetry to investigate activity patterns, estimate home range size with three different techniques, and develop a generalized linear model to identify features associated with habitats used by R. r. perixantha. We found that turtles were most frequently active at midday, with peak activity occurring from 0900 to 1500 h. During the dry season (January-mid-June), R. r. perixantha showed reduced activity (fewer movements and shorter travel distances) compared to the wet season (late June-September). Home range size did not differ among the three methods we compared, and all estimates revealed that R. r. perixantha have small home ranges, with males having larger home ranges than females. Sites used by turtles were positively associated with leaf litter and woody debris, herbaceous plants, vegetation, vine-like shrubs, and sloped terrain, and negatively associated with bare ground. Our findings can be used to strengthen future conservation efforts for R. r. perixantha, as well as other terrestrial geoemydids.

Home range of three turtle species in Central Yucatan. A comparative study

“…The more terrestrial species have sporadic aquatic incursions only during the rainy season, and these tend to be in ephemeral puddles following a rain, and R. areolata was rarely seen in bigger sartenejas. During dry season the three species limited their activity, and this pattern of home range reduction during the dry season has been reported elsewhere in tropical and subtropical systems [ 17 , 43 , 44 ].…”

“…Home ranges among related species could be similar, however, depending on the availability of suitable resources species may tend to avoid each other and use distinct habitats to avoid competition for similar resources [ 14 , 15 ]. On the other hand, home range may not matter, and species may find ways to avoid resource overlap while sharing the same habitat by having differences in activity or habitat use [ 16 , 17 ].…”

“…Thus, our first prediction is that R. areolata have a larger home range sizes than the other two species followed by T. yucatana , and K. creaseri . Second, based on studies of movement in other species in tropical dry forests [ 17 ], we predicted home range size and movements would be strongly correlated to dry and wet seasons, with movements increasing in the wet season.…”

Rhinoclemmys Rubida Perixantha (Geoemydidae)

“…Además, presentaba amputación completa de la mano del miembro anterior izquierdo y cicatrización de la lesión. Rhinoclemmys rubida perixantha es una tortuga terrestre endémica de bosques tropicales secos y es activa principalmente durante la estación de lluvias (Butterfeld et al, 2018). De hecho, durante los primeros días del mes de junio antes de la observación del ejemplar, el volumen acumulado de lluvia en la zona fue de 37.2 mm (V. Cornejo & J.C. Morales, 2021 com.…”

Uso del hábitat y tiempo de actividad en lagartijas diurnas en sitios pertubados por un huracán en Chamela, Jalisco

“…En sitios perturbados, en las tres temporadas de muestreo, se observó el uso de escombros leñosos en mayores frecuencias con respecto a los demás microhábitats, similar a lo que se registró para una especie de tortuga que habita en la misma zona de estudio (Butterfield et al, 2018). Esto sugiere que esta especie de lagartija podría verse beneficiada por los escombros dejados por el huracán.…”