Feeding Habits of Trachemys callirostris (Gray, 1856) (Testudines: Emydidae), San Benito Abad, Sucre, Colombia

Abstract

Objective: An analysis was carried out on the volume of digestive contents of plant and animal origin materials, using Trachemys callirostris collected during subsistence hunting as a reference based on the differences between the genders. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The digestive contents of 53 T. callirotris individuals were examined: 10 males and 43 females, from the wetland complex of the municipality of San Benito Abad, Sucre, Colombia. The analysis of the digestive contents was grouped by gender, differentiating between plant material and animal material; in addition, morphometric measurements of the specimens were taken. Findings: No significant differences were determined for the plant material between the genders. However, for the animal material, there were significant differences that favored the females; there were significant differences between the genders, with higher variable means in the females. Application: This knowledge on diet helps establish differences for the appropriation of food resources that may be related to the ecological aspects of this species, while offering valuable information that can be used for the conservation of this species and its habitat. Keywords: Caribbean, Chelonian, Colombia, Diet, Natural Environment