Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Plummer, M. V. (2003). Activity and thermal ecology of the box turtle, terrapene ornata, at its southwestern range limit in arizona. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 4(3), 569–577.
Added by: Admin (14 Aug 2008 20:38:54 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: Plummer2003a View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Emydidae, Habitat = habitat, Nordamerika = North America, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Terrapene, Terrapene ornata Creators: Plummer Collection: Chelonian Conservation and Biology |
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| Abstract |
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Activity and thermal ecology of Terrapene ornata luteola were studied in southeastern Arizona, near the extreme southwestern range limit for T. ornata, using a combination of radiotransmitters and temperature data loggers attached to individual turtles. Surface activity was greatly affected by rainfall and operative temperatures both seasonally and daily. Most of the annual activity occurred in a 90-d period from July through September coincident with monsoon rains. On a daily basis, turtles exhibited two periods of surface activity, a 3 hr period in early morning and a 1.5 hr period in late afternoon. Precipitation enhanced both daily and seasonal activity. Burrows of the kangaroo rat, Dipodomys spectabilis, provided the most important subterranean refuge. The observed patterns of daily activity, field body temperatures, and laboratory preferred body temperatures in Arizona were similar to those of most other populations of T. ornata that have been studied across the species’ range, with the exception of extreme northern populations in Wisconsin and Nebraska. Compared to populations of T. ornata in the central portions of the species’ range, there is no clear evidence of adjustments in either behavioral microhabitat use, thermoregulatory set point temperatures, or field body temperatures at the species’ southwestern range limits. Broad thermal tolerances and an ability to behaviorally adjust both daily and seasonal activity times opportunistically may permit the existence of T. ornata luteola at its southwestern range margin in Arizona where hydric and thermal factors might be expected to constrain a primarily prairie-adapted species.
Added by: Admin |