LE3 .A278 2003

2003

Herman, Tom
Mockford, Steve

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Biology

Biology

Blanding's turtles in southwest Nova Scotia are isolated at the northern periphery of the species' range. Three sub-populations are known to occur in the Nova Scotia complex, two of which have been studied comprehensively. The main objective of this exploratory study was to expand our understanding of the extent and nature of a third sub-population, at Pleasant River (PR), where we could also identify potentially valuable research questions that might be addressed in future studies. From May until November 2002, adult and juvenile Blanding's turtles in PR were radio-tagged and tracked to: a) estimate occurrence and distribution; b) examine population size and structure; c) monitor habitat selection and movement; and d) characterize certain aspects of behaviour. A total of 10 Blanding's turtles had been marked at PR between 1997 and 2001. In 2002, 1606 trap nights and 73 5 hours of staff and volunteer effort resulted in the capture of 26 individuals (7 marked, 19 unmarked). The PR sub-population sex-ratio is biased towards females (1.6: 1 in 2002) and it exhibits a high proportion of juveniles (31 %). Spatial sub-structure exists, as the sub-population's distribution occurs within three discrete concentrations. The turtles inhabit shallow, still waters with muddy organic bottoms and abundant emergent and submergent vegetation. Evidence suggests that females use available habitat to a greater extent than males, and both sexes and all ages congregate during overwintering. All ages and sexes occupied overlapping areas of their respective habitats, and overall trap success was greatest in August, and lowest in May. Individuals in streams were observed terrestrially more frequently than those in bogs, and males appeared to be more terrestrial than females, while juveniles were exclusively aquatic. Data have been compared with existing information from other populations within the Nova Scotia complex and elsewhere in the range, and will contribute directly to conservation efforts for this species.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3522