Literaturdatenbank

WIKINDX Resources

Macip-Ríos, R., Barrios-Quiroz, G., & Casas-Andreu, G. , Demography, reproduction, and diet of the mexican mud turtle (kinosternon integrum) in central mexico - abstract. Unpublished paper presented at Program and Abstracts of the Tenth Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles. 
Added by: Admin (06 Jan 2014 18:22:58 UTC)
Resource type: Conference Paper
BibTeX citation key: MacipRos2012a
View all bibliographic details
Categories: General
Keywords: Ernährung - nutrition, Fortpflanzung - reproduction, Habitat - habitat, Kinosternidae, Kinosternon integrum, Nordamerika - North America, Schildkröten - turtles + tortoises, Systematik - taxonomy
Creators: Barrios-Quiroz, Casas-Andreu, Macip-Ríos
Collection: Program and Abstracts of the Tenth Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles
Views: 5/664
Views index: 17%
Popularity index: 4.25%
Abstract     
The Mexican Mud Turtle (Kinosternon integrum) is the terrestrial species with the largest distribution in Mexico, an endemic turtle which inhabits from large rivers to seasonal ponds and from pristine to highly perturbed-polluted habitats. The conservation status of K. integrum is under the “special protection” category (designed to endemic species with small distribution range and unknown demographic data). Basic demographic, reproductive, and natural history data are needed to design the proper conservation and management programs for turtles in Mexico. We surveyed three populations of K. integrum from 2003 to 2008 in Central Mexico (Estado de Mexico and Michoacan) and from adjacent populations. Capturemark- recapture and elasticity matrices were used to assess the basic demographic trends in two populations. X-ray photographs combined with oxytocin injections were used to obtain reproductive data. We used feces and stomach contents to describe K. integrum diet in three populations. Demography of the populations analyzed (high- and low-elevation) indicated that the high-elevation population was in decline (λ=0.83, CI=0.66-0.99), whereas the low-elevation indicate stability (λ=0.89, CI=0.74-1.04). Survival of adults was the vital rate that contributed most to population persistence in both populations. Average body size (plastron length) of all population surveyed was 137.4 (±167, range 95.5-177) mm and average clutch size was 4.5 (±1.8, range 1-10) eggs. Clutch size and body size was positively correlated. We also found evidence of both, pelvic and no-pelvic constraint in the populations surveyed. Diet results indicate that K. integrum was omnivorous but prey types varied between populations. Diet data suggest that this turtle feeds opportunistically on available prey items rather than on a few preferred food items. Besides of the required taxonomic and systematic studies to validate the K. integrum whole distribution as a single species, our data analyses and the overall interpretation of available evidence suggest that the broad distribution range of K. integrum could be explained by an omnivorous and opportunistic diet, a highly variable reproductive output between populations, high survivorship rate of adults due tolerance to habitat perturbation, a solid shell, and a switch in reproductive strategic through lifespan.
Added by: Admin  
wikindx 4.2.2 ©2014 | Total resources: 14930 | Database queries: 57 | Script execution: 0.26462 secs | Style: American Psychological Association (APA) | Bibliography: WIKINDX Master Bibliography