Christopher A. Howey* and Stephen A. Dinkelacker

Turtles rely on thermoregulation to increase and maintain a body temperature that will permit daily activities. For instance, elevated body temperatures are necessary for a variety of reasons including feeding, foraging, growth, maintenance of illness or injury, digestion, and reproduction. Among these different activities, reproduction is the only one that may be dependent upon sex and reproductive status. Since the body temperature of a reptile relies heavily on surrounding environmental temperatures, habitat selection should differ between males and females. Furthermore, habitat selection should differ between gravid females and non-gravid females. Whereas most freshwater turtles leave the water to bask, the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) rarely exhibits this behavior. Instead, alligator snapping turtles may use warmer aquatic habitats when reproductively active. The goal of this project is to determine if there are differences in habitat use between males, gravid females, and non-gravid females. Towards this end, we will fit turtles with radio-transmitters and locate them throughout the year. At each location, habitat characteristics will be recorded including depth of turtle, water temperature at turtle, stream clarity, stream width, and habitat type. Habitat use will be compared between the three groups (males, gravid females, and non-gravid females) using MANOVA. In addition, habitat selection will be determined through pairwise t-tests comparing turtle locations to random locations. Inferences can then be made on whether thermoregulatory requirements influence habitat use and selection.
Macrochelys Session Poster, Student

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