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<p>Despite their ubiquity in many freshwater habitats, little is known about the spatial and movement ecology of Cooter turtles (Pseudemys). We captured and tracked 24 Florida Red-bellied Cooters (<i>P. nelsoni</i>) and 24 Peninsula Cooters (<i>P. peninsularis</i>), 12 of each sex, in the protected spring-fed Wekiva River, Wekiwa Springs, and Rock Springs system. Most cooters stayed in the same spring or river section (<i>n</i> = 30). We hypothesized and found ~25% of Peninsula Cooters preferred slower moving water in the Wekiva River, while &gt; 90% Florida Red-bellied Cooters preferred faster moving spring boils or runs. We hypothesized females would have larger ranges than males but using 1,061 movements summarized with ten movement metrics, we observed few differences between species or sexes. Instead, the high variability between individuals clustered into two movement modes—20 turtles that were relocated in the same vicinity (typically &lt; 500&#xa0;m) and 27 turtles that moved throughout the spring system. We attribute the lack of differences between sexes and species to the optimality of spring systems for herbivorous turtles with constant water temperature, dense macrophytes, and abundant basking spots. Our study highlights the need for continued protection of spring systems to conserve these refuges of <i>Pseudemys</i> abundance in increasingly altered hydroscapes.</p>

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Movements of two river cooters (Pseudemys) in a protected Florida spring-fed river system

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年2月22日

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  • Tabitha Hootman,
  • Zachary A. Siders,
  • Eric Munscher,
  • John Enz,
  • J. Brian Hauge,
  • Michael Skibsted,
  • Elizabeth Walton,
  • Andrew D. Walde

摘要

Despite their ubiquity in many freshwater habitats, little is known about the spatial and movement ecology of Cooter turtles (Pseudemys). We captured and tracked 24 Florida Red-bellied Cooters (P. nelsoni) and 24 Peninsula Cooters (P. peninsularis), 12 of each sex, in the protected spring-fed Wekiva River, Wekiwa Springs, and Rock Springs system. Most cooters stayed in the same spring or river section (n = 30). We hypothesized and found ~25% of Peninsula Cooters preferred slower moving water in the Wekiva River, while > 90% Florida Red-bellied Cooters preferred faster moving spring boils or runs. We hypothesized females would have larger ranges than males but using 1,061 movements summarized with ten movement metrics, we observed few differences between species or sexes. Instead, the high variability between individuals clustered into two movement modes—20 turtles that were relocated in the same vicinity (typically < 500 m) and 27 turtles that moved throughout the spring system. We attribute the lack of differences between sexes and species to the optimality of spring systems for herbivorous turtles with constant water temperature, dense macrophytes, and abundant basking spots. Our study highlights the need for continued protection of spring systems to conserve these refuges of Pseudemys abundance in increasingly altered hydroscapes.