Meeting Abstract

55.9  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Exploring the nutritional ecology of the ornate box turtle in New Mexico via stable isotope analyses MURRAY, I.W.*; WOLF, B.O.; Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque; Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque imurray@unm.edu

We report on the stable isotope ecology of ornate box turtles, Terrapene ornata, in geographically distinct populations across New Mexico. The ornate box turtle is widespread in New Mexico, occupying a diverse array of habitats, from shin-oak dunes in the southeast, to Chihuahuan-desert grasslands in the central part of the state. Stable isotopes of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) can be used to explore the plant photosynthetic pathway type used as a nutrient source (i.e. C₄ grasses and cacti versus C₃ annuals) as well as look at trophic shifts between individuals and across populations. We measured the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values of blood and growth ring scute keratin from box turtles in New Mexico. These tissues have different turnover rates, which means we can integrate dietary history over short and long periods of time over the course of an animal’s life. Here we report on the long and short-term dietary history of a long-lived reptilian omnivore from several populations across New Mexico.