Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Blair, W. F. (1976). Some aspects of the biology of the ornate box turtle, terrapene ornata. Southwestern Naturalist, 21(1), 89–104.
Added by: Admin (25 Aug 2008 20:36:43 UTC) Last edited by: Beate Pfau (14 Mar 2009 12:28:51 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: Blair1976 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Emydidae, Habitat = habitat, Nordamerika = North America, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Terrapene, Terrapene ornata Creators: Blair Collection: Southwestern Naturalist |
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| Abstract |
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Marked ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata) were studied on a 4.05 ha tract through 5 seasons and on approximately .93 ha through an additional 17 seasons. Densities ranged from .65 to .89 adults per ha. A female marked as a juvenile reached sexual maturity at age 8 and continued to grow to age 15. Males matured more rapidly than females; a male was presumably mature sexually at age 7. There was only partial concordance between ages estimated from growth rings on scutes and by extrapolation from growth curves. The oldest turtle was estimated to be 32 years of age. Virtually complete turnover of the population is indicated within 32 years. Cars were a common cause of mortality. The activity season spans a little more than 8 months. Mating behavior occurs through much of the activity season. Home ranges of males averaged 105 m in diameter, those of females 94 m. These turtles are omnivorous. Free water was obtained by visits to a pond. The results generally agree with those from a study of the same species in Kansas. Main disagreement is in estimates of growth rates and age of maturity.
Added by: Admin Last edited by: Beate Pfau |