Spatial Biology of the Spiny Hill Turtle, Heosemys Spinosa
Despite being on the Endangered species list, the ecology of the Spiny Hill Turtle, Heosemys spinosa has remained unstudied. Such fundamental knowledge as spatial ecology, behaviour and habitat use are critical for understanding the conservation and management needs of the species. We employed r...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
UNIMAS Publisher, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31480/1/Cover%20page%20july2019.pdf http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31480/2/Spatial%20Biology%20of%20the%20Spiny%20Hill%20Turtle%2C%20Heosemys%20Spinosa.pdf http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31480/ |
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| Summary: | Despite being on the Endangered species list, the ecology of the Spiny Hill Turtle, Heosemys spinosa has
remained unstudied. Such fundamental knowledge as spatial ecology, behaviour and habitat use are critical
for understanding the conservation and management needs of the species. We employed radio-telemetry
to understand its spatial biology, and six individuals were tracked for a period up to 17 months, and data
on home range, movement pattern and microhabitat preferences obtained. Two important questions raised
on the autecology of Heosemys spinosa relevant to its spatial ecology were: 1) how does sexual variation,
body size and environmental factors relate to habitat utilization and movement and 2) are there specific
spatial zones of importance for its life history and survival requirements. Home range estimates were
1.68–60 (mean 32.58 and 2.85 in males and females, respectively) hectares, using the 100% Multiple
Convex Polygon (MCP) method. Although males showed larger mean home ranges compared to females
(mean MCP: male 32.59 ha, female 2.85 ha), these differences are not statistically significant (Kruskall
Wallis test: p > 0.05), suggesting sex is not a reliable predictor of home range size. Carapace length, here a
surrogate of size and mass, correlated with increased mobility (p < 0.05), larger turtles obviously are able
to roam over greater distances, presumably for foraging, finding mates or establishing new territories. |
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