Variation in Reproductive Output of the Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga) and the Three-striped Roofed Turtle (Batagur dhongoka) in the Chambal River of North India

Abstract

Abstract Characterizing variation in reproductive output is foundational to understanding the demography of a population and determining management strategies. Doing so is paramount when the species of interest is threatened with extinction. The red-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga) and the three-striped roofed turtle (Batagur dhongoka) are severely threatened by overharvesting and habitat loss. Despite their imperiled status, there are very few published studies on species ecology and life history to enable effective conservation; the 3 published studies that are available were completed nearly 3 decades ago. We herein provide information on variation in reproductive output for these turtles in the Chambal River of North India. Generalized linear models and analyses of variance were fitted to data on nesting density, fecundity, and egg volume. The number of nests showed an overall decline across 3 seasons (2007, 2008, and 2010) over a 4-yr duration with the highest number of nests observed in the m...