Post-Emergence Behavior of Hatchling Western Pond Turtles (Actinemys marmorata) in Western Oregon

Rosenberg, Daniel K.; Swift, Roberta

doi:10.1674/0003-0031-169.1.111

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Mature females produce one to two clutches of eggs per year, depositing them in excavated terrestrial nests between May and July; however, not all females will reproduce every year (Scott et al ., ; Bury et al ., ). In more northern latitudes, including our study area, hatchlings overwinter in nests and emerge the following spring (Reese & Welsh, ; Rosenberg & Swift, ). Very little data exist on the average lifespan for western pond turtles; however, Bury et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of counter‐gradient growth in western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) across thermal gradients

et al. 2015

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1. Counter-gradient growth, where growth per unit temperature increases as temperature decreases, can reduce the variation in ectothermic growth rates across environmental gradients. Understanding how ectothermic species respond to changing temperatures is essential to their conservation and management due to human-altered habitats and changing climates. 2. Here, we use two contrasting populations of western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) to model the effect of artificial and variable temperature regimes on growth and age at reproductive maturity. The two populations occur on forks of the Trinity River in northern California, U.S.A. The South Fork Trinity River (South Fork) is unregulated, while the main stem of the Trinity River (Main Stem) is dammed and has peak seasonal temperatures that are approximately 10°C colder than the South Fork. 3. Consistent with other studies, we found reduced annual growth rates for turtles in the colder Main Stem compared to the warmer South Fork. The South Fork population matured approximately 9 year earlier, on average, and at a larger body size than the Main Stem population. 4. When we normalised growth rates for the thermal opportunity for growth using water-growing degree-days (GDD), we found the reverse for growth rates and age at reproductive maturity. Main Stem turtles grew approximately twice as fast as South Fork turtles per GDD. Main Stem turtles also required approximately 50% fewer GDD to reach their smaller size at reproductive maturity compared to the larger South Fork turtles. 5. We found we could accurately hindcast growth rates based on water temperatures estimated from the total volume of discharge from the dam into the Main Stem, providing a management tool for predicting the impacts of the dam on turtle growth rates. 6. Given the importance of size and age at reproductive maturity to population dynamics, this information on counter-gradient growth will improve our ability to understand and predict the consequences of dam operations for downstream turtle populations.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of counter‐gradient growth in western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) across thermal gradients

et al. 2015

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“…Home Range and Distance Traveled .—Weekly home ranges increased with age and did not differ between sexes in older classes. Eastern Box Turtles in Michigan remained close to the natal opening after fall emergence and even into their first spring (Laarman et al, 2018), as did Northwestern Pond Turtle ( Actinemys marmorata ) hatchlings in Oregon (Rosenberg and Swift, 2013). Most studies found no difference in home ranges between sexes in adult Ornate Box Turtles (Legler, 1960; Doroff and Keith, 1990; Nieuwolt, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Home Range, Movement Patterns, and Habitat Use of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata ornata) Differ Among Age Classes?

Bernstein

Fendrich

McCollum

2023

Journal of Herpetology

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Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata ornata) exist in few large, reproductive populations in Iowa. Little is known about the home range, movements, and habitat use of neonates and young turtles or how movements change during maturation. We tracked four age classes of turtles from 2011 to 2016 and calculated weekly minimum convex polygon home range, every-other-day linear distance moved, habitat, microhabitat, and vegetation cover. We divided the active season into three blocks of time based on established patterns of behavior in Ornate Box Turtles. Age was the only significant factor explaining larger home ranges in older turtles during May and June–July, but there were no significant differences during August–September. However, linear distance moved significantly increased with age during all time periods. Turtles were mainly found in prairie or shrub–prairie habitats, but older turtles were more likely to move farther away from the nesting/breeding/overwintering area. While often on the surface, all age groups were found primarily under vegetation, shrubs, or trees that provided >95% vegetation cover. We suggest that habitat management for this state-threatened species consider the diverse habitats and area needed by all age classes.

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“…), nesting (Rathbun et al. , , Holte , Lucas ), terrestrial habitat use by hatchlings (Reese and Welsh , Rosenberg and Swift ), and overwintering and estivation (Reese and Welsh , Ryan , Rathbun et al. , Pilliod et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Western pond turtles may also resort to terrestrial refugia to estivate during drought conditions (Rathbun et al 2002, Pilliod et al 2013). In addition, based on limited data from Oregon, hatchling western pond turtles typically overwinter in their nests before first moving to water in the spring (Holte 1998, Rosenberg andSwift 2013). If terrestrial overwintering sites are used, western pond turtles may spend up to 10 months a year out of water (Ultsch 2006, Ernst andLovich 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although much work has described microhabitat use in this species such as for basking Goodman 1996, Lambert et al 2013), nesting (Rathbun et al 1992, 2002, Holte 1998, Lucas 2007, terrestrial habitat use by hatchlings Welsh 1997, Rosenberg andSwift 2013), and overwintering and estivation (Reese and Welsh 1997, Ryan 2001, Rathbun et al 2002, Pilliod et al 2013, little work has explored the potential for larger-scale, landscape features to influence western pond turtle distributions (but see Compton et al 2002, Marchand andLitvaitis 2004). We analyzed data from two large-scale surveys for western pond turtles that used a probabilistic sampling design to identify habitat features associated with western pond turtle occurrence and abundance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Landscape influence on the local distribution of western pond turtles

Horn

Gervais

2018

Ecosphere

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Abstract. Spatial and temporal scales are important for understanding habitat associations because organisms have neither unbounded mobility nor perfect knowledge of their environment, but still must make decisions on where to seek food, shelter, and mates. Semi-aquatic turtles exemplify the need to evaluate potential habitat characteristics at a range of scales, because their ectothermy makes these animals particularly sensitive to local environmental conditions, yet their limited mobility spatially constrains selection of microsites. Microsite choice may also be sensitive to larger geographic context. We explored site occupancy and abundance of western pond turtles (Actinemys [Emys] marmorata) as a function of environmental variables over a range of spatial scales up to that of the entire watershed. We modeled occupancy at ponds and abundance at river sites using data from surveys conducted at 50 ponds and 58 river locations throughout the South Umpqua, Umpqua, and North Umpqua watersheds in western Oregon, USA in 1999-2000. The South Umpqua supported the greatest abundance of western pond turtles in rivers and the highest rates of occupancy in ponds. No turtles were detected in rivers of the North Umpqua, and only low numbers were detected in ponds in that watershed. Increasing amount of potential relative solar radiation was associated with increased probability of pond occupancy, particularly in the North Umpqua watershed. Pond turtle abundance in rivers increased with increasing distance to nearest pond, decreasing area of nearby ponds, and increasing area of nearby wetland habitat of all types, particularly in the Klamath Mountain and Coast Range physiographic provinces, which dominate the South Umpqua and Umpqua watersheds, respectively. Western pond-turtle occupancy and abundance varied with both broadscale and fine-scale habitat features, not solely to the fine-scale features that are most often measured.

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Post-Emergence Behavior of Hatchling Western Pond Turtles (Actinemys marmorata) in Western Oregon

Cited by 9 publications

References 20 publications

Evidence of counter‐gradient growth in western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) across thermal gradients

Evidence of counter‐gradient growth in western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) across thermal gradients

Do Home Range, Movement Patterns, and Habitat Use of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata ornata) Differ Among Age Classes?

Landscape influence on the local distribution of western pond turtles

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