DEMOGRAPHY OF A SMALL POPULATION OF LOGGERHEAD MUSK TURTLES (Sternotherus minor) IN THE PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA

摘要

The loggerhead musk turtle (Sternotherus minor) is a small, aquatic species restricted to the southeastern United States and thought to prey primarily on invertebrates (Tinkle 1958). In Florida, the animal is currently recognized as S. m. minor (Agassiz 1857). Much of what we know of this animal is based on studies conducted within spring and spring run habitats (e.g., Marchand 1942, Cox and Marion 1979, Cox et al. 1988,1991) and these habitats have been considered optimal for the species (Chapin and Meylan 2011). However, loggerhead musk turtles can be found in many different types of wetlands (Ernst et al. 1994) and little research has been conducted on the species in these other habitats for comparison.