DINKELACKER, S.A.; WILSON, T. P.; HOWARD, J. H.: Spatial Ecology of Syntopic Bog (Clemmys muhlenbergii), Spotted (Clemmys guttata) and Snapping (Chelydra serpentina) Turtles in Maryland

I examined differences in home ranges among syntopic species of turtles occurring within a 3-ha wetland in Carroll County, Maryland. I attached radio transmitters to the carapaces of bog (Clemmys muhlenbergii), spotted (Clemmys guttata), and snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) and located each individual twice a week during the summer of 1999. I compared minimum convex polygon and adaptive kernel home-range size estimates and average daily movements among species using one-way ANOVA. I plotted all home ranges for each individual of all three species to assess total area used and spatial overlap within and among species. Spotted turtles had significantly larger home ranges than bog and snapping turtles. Spotted turtles had significantly greater average daily movements than bog turtles but not snapping turtles. Home ranges of bog turtles exhibited the greatest amount of intraspecific overlap (75.1%) and those of snapping turtles the least (15.4%). Spotted turtles overlapped the majority of the total area used by bog turtles (79.6%) and snapping turtles (64.4%). Interestingly, bog turtles only overlapped 19.5%, and snapping turtles only overlapped 8.0% of the total area used by spotted turtles. Comparisons of home-range sizes, avaerage daily movements and spatial overlap among the three species suggest that spotted turtles require more space to suport resource requirements at this site.