Comparing Diets of Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in Mangrove Estuaries of Southwest Florida

Abstract

Abstract We quantified diets of Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in Charlotte Harbor National Estuary, Florida, to identify possible ontogenetic variation in prey consumption, to examine the use of local prey, and to contrast the diets of conspecifics at other foraging areas. Dietary analysis was conducted by identifying prey remains recovered in 58 fecal samples from 53 turtles (24.2–63.7 cm midline straight carapace length). Turtles consumed seven prey categories: crustaceans, chelicerates, fish, sessile invertebrates, molluscs, plants/algae, and unidentified items. Spider crabs (Libinia sp.) are the dominant prey consumed in the mangrove estuary, occurring in 94.8% of fecal samples, accounting for 71.4% of dry mass, and as 76.3% in the Index of Relative Importance. We found no significant ontogenetic differences in prey composition between small (<40 cm) and large (≥40 cm) turtles, although crustaceans were more prevalent in diets of the larger turtles. The prey consumed in Charlotte Har...