Home range and movements of a wood turtle (<i>Clemmys insculpta</i>) population at the northern limit of its range

Arvisais, Martin; Bourgeois, Jean-Claude; Lévesque, Esther; Daigle, Claude; Masse, Denis; Jutras, Jacques

doi:10.1139/z02-013

Cited by 49 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…We are unable to distinguish between these 2 possibilities (or a combination thereof) with our current data set. Evidence in the literature suggests that home range size generally tends to increase as productivity decreases (Sperry and Weatherhead 2009), including at higher latitudes (Harestad and Bunnel 1979, Brown et al 1996, Arvisais et al 2002). Grasslands National Park is 7–10° of latitude (approx.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat selection by grassland snakes at northern range limits: Implications for conservation

et al. 2011

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Animal populations at northern range limits may use habitat differently from those at range cores, requiring distinct conservation plans. Snakes are ectotherms that often have very specific requirements, but few studies have focused on the effect of northern latitudes on habitat selection by grassland snakes. We studied movement and habitat selection of 2 sympatric snake species at their northern range limits on the North American Great Plains: the eastern yellow‐bellied racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris, hereafter racer), a Threatened species in Canada, and the bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi), which is listed as Data Deficient. Both of these species are potentially vulnerable to extinction in Canada because of habitat loss. Snakes from our study populations traveled up to 10‐times farther from winter dens and occupied home ranges 3–104 times larger than populations further south. Both snake species moved from winter dens in the slopes of a major river valley to habitat in adjacent lowlands, including riparian zones (racers) and hilly areas with native grass species (bullsnakes). Multivariate modeling revealed that proximity to retreat sites was a significant predictor of snake site use for both species. Considering the need for winter dens and summering areas, our data suggest that snakes in northern latitudes should ideally have much larger protected areas compared to snakes near the core of their range. An alternative strategy is to conserve corridors linking wintering dens and summer habitats. Retreat sites such as burrows and shrubs are critical components of local habitat and should be included in conservation plans. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat selection by grassland snakes at northern range limits: Implications for conservation

et al. 2011

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“…It is possible that because northern turtles are larger they require a greater area in which to forage to obtain the necessary resources and build sufficient fat reserves to survive the longer winters. Arvisais et al (2002) noted that there was a trend towards larger home ranges in northern populations. It could also be that the general trend of decreasing biodiversity and primary productivity associated with shorter growing seasons may be limiting the numbers and/or the variety of food available to northern turtles (Fleming 1973;Heywood 1978;Currie and Paquin 1987;Cox and Moore 1995).…”

Section: Population Densitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Aspects of a Wood Turtle, <em>Glyptemys insculpta</em>, Population at the Northern Limit of its Range in Québec

Walde¹,

Bider²,

Daigle

et al. 2003

Can Field Nat

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As part of a conservation research initiative, a population of Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) at the northern limit of its range was studied to ascertain characteristics of its demographics, morphometrics, density, mortality, feeding, and mating activities. Turtles were captured and marked during the activity period in 1996 and 1997. In addition, 20 individuals were radio-tracked weekly. A total of 188 turtles was captured and the size of the population in the study area was estimated at 238 turtles. The estimated population density based on this calculation is 0.44 turtles/ha. This is less than other studies indicating that population densities are greater in southern populations. Turtles from this population were large (carapace length of males=214.5 ± 4.21 mm, females=201.1 ± 10.88 mm) which supports the hypothesis that turtle size is negatively correlated with number of frost free days. The sex ratio was not significantly different from 1:1. Juvenile turtles accounted for 31.4% of the population. Observations of feeding habits support the claim that Wood Turtles are opportunistic omnivores. Of the 35 mating or courtship events observed, 77 % occurred in the fall and half of them between 11:00 and 13:00. Although limb and tail injuries and parasites were observed on many turtles, no dead turtles were observed. This last result, combined with the high rate of recruitment and even sex ratio suggests that this population is stable, making it an ideal population with which to make comparisons with other studies in areas where the species could be in decline.

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“…Home range size in G. insculpta appears quite small (Ernst and Lovich 2009;Castellano et al 2009), and many individual turtles display extreme site fidelity (Harding and Bloomer 1979;Arvisais et al 2002Arvisais et al , 2004Tuttle and Carroll 2003;Walde et al 2007). We sampled G. insculpta from sites 12 km apart along the same drainage in Iowa and along multiple drainages up to 25 km apart in West Virginia and found no hint of population subdivision between sites within a state.…”

Section: Management Units and Population Geneticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation genetics of a peripherally isolated population of the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in Iowa

et al. 2010

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The North American wood turtle, Glyptemys insculpta, is a semi-aquatic species that is considered rare, threatened, or endangered over much of its range. In this study, a particularly vulnerable peripheral isolate population in Iowa has been monitored over a period of 7 years. Population census size, estimated from mark-recapture data, and age structure determined from morphology are compared with genetic variation assessed using microsatellites. For reference, the genetics and demographics of this peripheral isolate are compared to data from a more dense population nearer the core of the species range in West Virginia. Geneflow between the Iowa population and a nearby population in Minnesota also is assessed. Genetic data indicate that the Iowa population is isolated, unique, and diverse. Although the Iowa population has lower allelic richness, lower heterozygosity, and smaller genetic effective population size than does the West Virginia population, the difference is not dramatic despite its lower population size, position at the periphery of the species range, and biogeographic history. The Iowa population is not inbred, and there is no genetic signature of a recent population bottleneck. However, interpretations of recent population dynamics based on genetic data may be unduly encouraging in long-lived species such as G. insculpta. Field data suggest a nearly complete lack of recruitment in Iowa. A number of environmental and anthropogenic factors, including recent increases in summer flooding during egg incubation, may have a more negative impact on the Iowa population than on the West Virginia population.

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Home range and movements of a wood turtle (Clemmys insculpta) population at the northern limit of its range

Cited by 49 publications

References 16 publications

Habitat selection by grassland snakes at northern range limits: Implications for conservation

Habitat selection by grassland snakes at northern range limits: Implications for conservation

Ecological Aspects of a Wood Turtle, <em>Glyptemys insculpta</em>, Population at the Northern Limit of its Range in Québec

Conservation genetics of a peripherally isolated population of the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in Iowa

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