Food Habits of a Pelomedusid Turtle, Pelomedusa subrufa, in Tropical Africa (Nigeria): The Effects of Sex, Body Size, Season, and Site

• DOI: 10.2744/ccb-0843.1
• Publication Date: 2011-07-11T19:24:43Z
• Authors: Luca Luiselli; Godfrey C. Akani; Nwabueze Ebere; Lorenzo Rugiero; Leonardo Vignoli; Francesco M. Ange...; Edem A. Eniang; Mathias Behangana
• Keywords: Dry season; Wet season

The food habits of a freshwater pelomedusid turtle (Pelomedusa subrufa) were studied by fecal analysis and stomach flushing in 2 study areas Nigeria. Males females predominantly carnivorous; they fed mainly on fish, tadpoles, aquatic invertebrates but also terrestrial vertebrates. Sexes overlapped highly dietary during both wet dry season. Body size clearly affected diet composition turtles did so only the season (with smaller individuals feeding primarily small vertebrates, larger homeotherm vertebrates). There was strong effect composition, responded to increasing dryness with shift from based organisms organisms, including