Translocated and Resident Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) in New York: Movement Patterns and Habitat Use

Translocation of animals to new habitats is a common conservation management strategy but is of uncertain effectiveness. Terrapene c. carolina (Eastern Box Turtle) are often the subject of translocation efforts. To understand the effectiveness of this strategy, we radio-tracked 19 translocated and 7...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Northeastern naturalist Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 249 - 266
Main Authors:	Henriquez, Megan C, Macey, Suzanne K, Baker, Erin E, Kelly, Lisa B, Betts, Rachel L, Rubbo, Michael J, Clark, J. Alan
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Steuben Humboldt Field Research Institute 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Northeastern Naturalist
Subjects:	Animal behavior Animal migration Habitat utilization Habitats Home range Movement Reptiles & amphibians Studies Terrapene carolina carolina Translocation Turtles Wildlife conservation
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Summary:	Translocation of animals to new habitats is a common conservation management strategy but is of uncertain effectiveness. Terrapene c. carolina (Eastern Box Turtle) are often the subject of translocation efforts. To understand the effectiveness of this strategy, we radio-tracked 19 translocated and 7 resident Eastern Box Turtles to assess movement patterns and habitat use, including hibernacula selection. Using data collected over 4 years from a nature reserve in New York, we compared home range, maximum distance traveled, and total distance traveled for both translocated and resident turtles. We found no difference between translocated or resident turtles or between sexes for any of these measures. These results suggest that translocated turtles at this site adapted well to their new habitat.
ISSN:	1092-6194 1938-5307
DOI:	10.1656/045.024.0303