Meeting Abstract

P3.113  Monday, Jan. 6 15:30  Evaluating Anthropogenic Impacts on Hormone Levels and Behavior of Breeding Turtles in the Wild POLICH, R.L.*; JANZEN, F.J.; Iowa State University; Iowa State University rlpolich@iastate.edu

The painted turtle (Chrysemes picta) is a freshwater turtle found in marshes, wetlands, and the backwaters of large rivers. Throughout much of its range, this turtle is found in close proximity to humans with little evidence of detrimental effects. However, these animals could be impacted by humans in sub-lethal ways that are currently poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, I designed a study to evaluate potential sub-lethal effects of humans on painted turtles during the breeding season. I evaluated a human-impacted population at Thomson Causeway, a popular campsite in Illinois, to a non-human-impacted population nearby at Lost Mound, an ex-military base. I compared three components between the two populations: basking behaviors, flight initiation distance (FID), and basal corticosterone levels and the corticosterone stress response. Human presence could potentially cause turtle stress hormones to be elevated or reduced compared to normal seasonal levels. As the endocrine system influences behavior, these changes could seriously affect typical turtle behaviors such as basking, which are influential in key physiological processes such as egg development and digestion. If behavioral or endocrinological differences are detected between these populations, these findings could have implications for management, such as limiting human access to breeding sites during the nesting season. My work will determine if such management processes are necessary for the painted turtle and also give insight into the need for addressing this issue in other species of turtle, one of the most imperiled taxa on the planet.