The eastern mud turtle Kinosternon subrubrum is a semiaquatic species that spends a considerable amount of time in upland habitats adjacent to wetlands, mostly in late spring and fall. Previous investigations have demonstrated that gravid females may spend up to 100 days in upland habitats during the April-June nesting season. Conversely, males remain in wetland habitats for much of this time period, but move to upland overwintering sites in the fall. Although several studies have examined seasonal movements, detailed geospatial analyses of home range have not been presented. We present telemetry data to elucidate patterns of movement for an eastern mud turtle population on the Coastal Plain of Maryland. Our study site is a large freshwater tidal wetland on the
Results/Conclusions
Our preliminary results suggest that female home range size is small compared to that of males, and may be limited by its distance to potential upland nesting sites. Observations made at Jug Bay are consistent with those made at study sites in the southern United States, but preliminary data collected on aquatic movement has yielded longer straight line distance travel by males. The ability of males to travel long distances, compared to previous published data of movement in farm ponds and Carolina Bays, suggests that it may be a strategy necessary to adapt to conditions in an estuarine environment. Little is known about the ecology of this reptile in the Northeast where rates of urbanization have increased dramatically over the last few decades. An understanding of the land area necessary to support eastern mud turtle populations is critical to conservation efforts.
