Graduate Student Research

Home range, spatial patterning and reproductive ecology of female eastern box turtles in a Long Island population.
M.S. Thesis, Hofstra University 2004.
William Capitano.

Abstract

Threats to eastern box turtle (Terrepene c. carolina) populations in New York require us to learn more about their ecology. From 2000-2002 I studied female population of eastern box turtles, at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley, N.Y., documenting their home range and reproductive success. In order to gain an understanding of female box turtle movements, eight females were tracked using radio telemetry and home range sizes were calculated using minimum convex polygon (m.c.p.) and kernel estimator methods. Average home ranges from m.c.p. and kernel estimators are 8.1 ha (s.d. 9.6ha) and 9.7 (s.d. 12.3 ha) respectively. In order to measure reproductive ecology, I x-rayed 94 females over the three year study, and found that average clutch size of 4.28 eggs (s.d. 1.35). I observed nesting six times in 2001 and five times in 2002. I documented a total of 19 eggs with a hatch success rate of 100% in 2001 and 19 eggs in 2002 had a hatching success rate of 84%. Hatchlings were tracked during fall 2001 and fall 2002 with fluorescent powder and/or monofilament fishing line. Four of the 2001 hatchlings were recovered in the spring 2002. Temperatures measured during the winter showed that the hibernacula temperatures reached –5 0 to - 7 0 C while ground temperatures were as low as –13 0 C. One of the four hatchlings did not survive, possibly because it was partially exposed. None of the hatchlings from 2002 were recovered in 2003; all were likely lost due to predation. The survival of those hatchlings that remained fully buried (though less than 2cm) indicates that hatchling eastern box turtles in NY do experience freezing temperatures and are adapted to survive freezing.