Dietary variation and overlap in D’Orbigny’s slider turtles Trachemys dorbigni (Duméril and Bibron 1835) (Testudines: Emydidae)

Although D’Orbigny’s slider (Trachemys dorbigni) is the most abundant freshwater chelonian species in southern Brazil, little is known about its feeding habits. Our goal was therefore to evaluate this species’ dietary composition and niche variation there. For this, we collected road-killed animals...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of natural history 2014-03, Vol.48 (11-12), p.721-728
Main Authors: Hahn, A.T, Rosa, C.A, Bager, A, Krause, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
carnivores
carnivory
chelonian
digestive system
Emydidae
females
freshwater
herbivores
herbivory
macrophytes
males
microhabitats
omnivores
swamps
Testudines
Trachemys
Trachemys dorbigni
turtles
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Although D’Orbigny’s slider (Trachemys dorbigni) is the most abundant freshwater chelonian species in southern Brazil, little is known about its feeding habits. Our goal was therefore to evaluate this species’ dietary composition and niche variation there. For this, we collected road-killed animals (n = 73) on a federal highway (BR 392) between 2002 and 2003, and analysed their gut contents. We identified 26 different dietary items, and our results indicated that D’Orbigny’s slider is omnivorous in this area. Total food volume, as well as the degree of herbivory and carnivory, were similar between males and females. However dietary composition of plants was different: although both males and females fed on underwater plant matter, only females consumed surface macrophytes. This finding suggested differential microhabitat usage between males and females throughout the swamps.
ISSN:1464-5262
0022-2933
1464-5262
DOI:10.1080/00222933.2013.840400