Is there really no place like home? Movement, site fidelity, and survival probability of translocated and resident turtles
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Published source details
Attum O., Cutshall C.D., Eberly K., Day H. & Tietjen B. (2013) Is there really no place like home? Movement, site fidelity, and survival probability of translocated and resident turtles. Biodiversity and Conservation, 22, 3185-3195.
Published source details Attum O., Cutshall C.D., Eberly K., Day H. & Tietjen B. (2013) Is there really no place like home? Movement, site fidelity, and survival probability of translocated and resident turtles. Biodiversity and Conservation, 22, 3185-3195.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Translocate adult or juvenile reptiles: Tortoises, terrapins, side-necked & softshell turtles Action Link |
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Translocate adult or juvenile reptiles: Tortoises, terrapins, side-necked & softshell turtles
A replicated, controlled study in 2010–2011 in wetlands within an urban park Kentucky, USA (Attum et al. 2013) found that translocated musk turtles Sternotherus odoratus had similar post-release survival and movement as resident turtles. Nine of 10 translocated turtles survived the whole 10–11-month study period, compared to 10 of 10 resident turtles. Movement distance, activity area, number of wetlands used, and number of wetland shifts were also similar for translocated and resident turtles (see paper for details). Resident (7 males, 3 females) and translocated (4 males, 6 females, from sites 6–20 km from the release site) adult turtles were trapped between March–August 2010 using baited hoop nets. Radio transmitters were fitted to their shells, and resident turtles were released at point of capture and translocated turtles were randomly assigned one of four ponds and released. Turtles were tracked on 2–3 days/week during warm months and once/month during cool months until June 2011.
(Summarised by: Maggie Watson, William Morgan)
