Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Díaz-Paniagua, C., Keller, C., & Andreu, A. C. (1995). Annual variation of activity and daily distances moved in adult spur-thighed tortoises, testudo graeca, in southwestern spain. Herpetologica, 51(2), 225–233.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich (06 Jul 2014 16:10:40 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: DazPaniagua1995 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Habitat - habitat, Schildkröten - turtles + tortoises, Südwesteuropa - South-Western Europa, Testudinidae, Testudo graeca, Testudo hermanni Creators: Andreu, Díaz-Paniagua, Keller Collection: Herpetologica |
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| Abstract |
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Testudo graeca Testudinidae We studied the activity patterns of Testudo graeca over 2 yr using the method of thread trailing on 131 individuals. The tortoises were active for about half of the year and exhibited a bimodal annual activity pattern, with well defined aestivation and hibernation periods. Daily distances moved averaged about 50 m/day throughout the year, the maximum distances being 1019 m/day for males and 316 m/day for females. There were temporal differences between male and female activity patterns, consisting of an earlier emergence of males from hibernation and a delay in entering aestivation of females. Tortoises were active mainly on non-rainy days with maximum temperature ranging from 20-30 C, minimum temperature from 6.5-15 C, relative humidity from 35-75%, and accumulated radiation from 24-42 ${\rm kw}/{\rm cm}^{2}$. However, tortoises were also active under much more extreme values. Female activity was more dependent on exogenous factors while males showed a stronger response to endogenous factors. In both sexes, the largest distances moved were related with the reproductive cycle, constraining tortoises to phases of activity under suboptimal environmental conditions: males at the beginning of courtship in late winter and females in the post-nesting recovery phase in early summer.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich |