Amity Byrd and John L. Carr

A study of the reproductive ecology of the Smooth Softshell Turtle (Apalone mutica) has been conducted since 1999 based on information gathered from sandbars. Data were collected from three Louisiana rivers, the Sabine, Red and Ouachita. Apalone clutches were gathered and data concerning the nests were recorded. All data from 1999–2005 were pooled. In a comparison of clutch size by river, the Ouachita River had the largest mean clutch size ( = 17.5 eggs, n = 4) among the three rivers and the Sabine River had the smallest ( = 6.1 eggs, n = 23). Although Sabine River clutches were smaller, the eggs were larger ( egg mass = 9.23 g, n = 128 vs.  egg mass = 6.69 g, n = 180 for the Sabine and Red Rivers, respectively). Egg mass was significantly different between all three rivers (p<0.00001). Average canopy cover of nest sites for the three river systems was 38.5, 21.1, and 0.8% for the Ouachita, Red and Sabine Rivers, respectively. The distance from the nest to the water differed for the three rivers, with average distance to water varying from 9.6 and 8.6 m for the Red and Ouachita Rivers, but it was 27.3 m for the Sabine River. This species leaves a very elongate disturbed area in the sand where it has nested. Average dimensions of the superficial disturbance at the nest site were 145 X 45 cm for the Ouachita River, 154 X 35 cm for the Red River, and 234 X 37 cm for the Sabine River. Of the three river systems, the Sabine River is the most distinctive in terms of clutch size, egg size, and nest site characteristics.
Graduate Research Oral, Student

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