LE3 .A278 1995

1995

Herman, Tom

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Biology

Biology

Thread trailing and radio telemetry were used to examine orientation and movement patterns of male wood turtles (Clemmys insculpta LeConte) on the Musquodoboit and saint Mary's rivers in Nova Scotia from May to September 1994. Fractal analyses and scale dependent orientation tests were used to compare movement patterns before and after transplantation. Trails in various microhabitat types including open fields, forested areas and aquatic environments were analyzed. Results showed that home range size was site-dependent and that this species was opportunistic, taking advantage of heterogeneous microhabitats when they were available. The repeated use of terrestrial and aquatic travel paths for foraging and possible "anting" behaviour was also investigated. Conclusions suggest that turtles transplanted outside their maximum range of homing ability can successfully adapt to the new environment. This has implications for the conservation of such threatened species.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3069