Linear Home Range, Movement, and Spatial Distribution of the Suwannee Cooter (Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis) in a Blackwater River

• DOI: 10.2744/ccb-0790.1
• Publication Date: 2011-01-05T17:00:18Z
• Authors: Yurii V. Kornilev; C. Kenneth Dodd; Gerald R. Johnston
• Keywords: Blackwater; Home range

A decreased tannin load during 2006–2007 in a northern Florida blackwater river allowed us to make observations on the ecology of Suwannee cooter (Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis), species otherwise usually studied clear, spring-fed rivers. We conducted capture–mark–recapture study this protected and recorded locations marked individuals throughout > 7.4-km site for 5 months. Large cooters can be highly vagile are capable covering long distances rapidly (> 1.5 km day), with few found from previous capture locations. For large turtles, propensity move across different habitats size actively used linear home range varied extensively were best explained by individual variation rather than sexual differences. observed an abundant population, including all classes. Turtle distribution was unequal among sections positively correlated number basking sites water depth. recommend counts monitor population trends rivers, especially under conditions high concentrations when hand capturing turtles is difficult.