Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Padgett, D. J., Carboni, J. J., & Schepis, D. J. (2010). The dietary composition of chrysemys picta picta (eastern painted turtles) with special reference to the seeds of aquatic macrophytes. Northeastern Naturalist, 17(2), 305–312.
Added by: Admin (25 Aug 2010 21:58:54 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article DOI: 10.1656/045.017.0212 BibTeX citation key: Padgett2010 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Chrysemys, Chrysemys picta, Emydidae, Ernährung = nutrition, Habitat = habitat, Nordamerika = North America, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises Creators: Carboni, Padgett, Schepis Collection: Northeastern Naturalist |
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| Abstract |
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Animals facilitate macrophyte seed dispersal in various ways despite specializations of macrophytes for water dispersal. Previous diet analyses of freshwater aquatic turtles revealed that several North American turtle species consume a variety and abundance of seeds among other plant material and animal prey. We quantified the dietary habits of Chrysemys picta picta (Eastern Painted Turtle) in a Massachusetts lake to examine if these animals included hydrophyte seeds in their diet and evaluate their capacity as passive seed-dispersal agents. Fifty-four turtles were trapped and housed to collect feces. Examination of feces revealed a diverse diet with comparatively high frequencies of animal, plant, and algal matter. Eight hundred fifty-seven seeds of at least nine plant species were egested (among 87% of turtles), with all but five (99%) seeds visibly intact. Seeds of Nuphar (473) and Decodon (305) were most abundant in the feces. Life-history characteristics of both C. p. picta and Nuphar suggest an effective endozoochorous seed dispersal association.
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