Interpond Movements of Western Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) in East-Central Kansas

Abstract

The general paradigm associated with overland movements of semi-aquatic turtles between aquatic habitats predicts that males move more frequently and for greater distances than females and juveniles, and that larger individuals move more frequently than smaller individuals. We used capture-mark-recapture techniques to examine interpond movement patterns of western painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) among a complex of eight ponds in east-central Kansas in 2007. We assessed the broad applicability of predictions of the general paradigm by testing the following hypotheses: 1) males make interpond movements more frequently than females, 2) larger adult-sized individuals make interpond movements more frequently than juveniles, 3) propensity for pond-to-pond movement varies as a function of size within categories (i.e., males, females, and juveniles), and 4) mean minimum distance traveled between ponds is greatest for males. The proportion of males that moved between ponds was not significantly different from that of females, and we did not observe a significant difference in proportion of adults and juveniles categorized as movers. Mean length of plastron of individuals classified as movers and non-movers was not significantly different within either females or juveniles. Males categorized as non-movers were significantly larger than those that made interpond movements. Mean minimum distance traveled between ponds was not significantly different among males, females, and juveniles. Thus, our results were not consistent with any of the predictions of the general paradigm. Costs and benefits associated with overland movements of turtles are likely to vary both spatially and temporally. We suggest that as cost-benefit ratios vary, so should predictions about the propensity for interpond movements among turtles of different sexes, sizes, and ontogenetic stages.