Dataset Information

Temperament and sexual behaviour in the Furrowed Wood Turtle Rhinoclemmys areolata.

ABSTRACT: The variation in temperament among animals has consequences for evolution and ecology. One of the primary effects of consistent behavioral differences is on reproduction. In chelonians some authors have focused on the study of temperament using different methods. In our research our first aim was i) establish a methodology to determine the degree of boldness among individuals Rhinoclemmys areolata. Our second aim was to ii) determine the role boldness plays during reproduction, with emphasis on courtship and copulation, considering a) the interactions between males and females, and b) competition between males. We used 16 sexually mature individuals of each sex. Males were observed in four different situations and 17 behavioral traits were recorded. We selected 12 traits that allowed us distinguish between the bolder and the shier individuals and found that five behavioral traits were specific for bolder individuals and five others for shier individuals. In a second step, we observed a male in presence of a female and recorded courtship behaviors and breeding attempts. Bolder individuals did not display courtship behaviors and just attempted to copulate. Shier individuals displayed courtship behaviors and copulation attempts were rarely observed. Finally, in the simulations that compared two males in the presence of a female we noticed that bolder individuals displayed courtship behaviors while the shier ones simply ignored the female. Our results first allowed us to determine which methodology is the best to determine temperament in turtles. Secondly, temperament seems to be an important factor in modulating interaction between males and females. Bolder individuals have an advantage during competition and display courtship behaviours only if other males are present. Shier males displayed courtship behaviors and only try to copulate when no competitors were present. These two different temperament-dependant strategies are discussed in terms of ecology, evolution and management.

SUBMITTER: Cassola FM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7773281 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Temperament and sexual behaviour in the Furrowed Wood Turtle Rhinoclemmys areolata.

Cassola Francesca Maura FM Henaut Yann Y Cedeño-Vázquez José Rogelio JR Méndez-de la Cruz Fausto Roberto FR Morales-Vela Benjamín B

PloS one 20201230 12

The variation in temperament among animals has consequences for evolution and ecology. One of the primary effects of consistent behavioral differences is on reproduction. In chelonians some authors have focused on the study of temperament using different methods. In our research our first aim was i) establish a methodology to determine the degree of boldness among individuals Rhinoclemmys areolata. Our second aim was to ii) determine the role boldness plays during reproduction, with emphasis on ...[more]

PMID: 33378375

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Project description:Environmental DNA (eDNA) has been used to record the presence of many different organisms in several different aquatic and terrestrial environments. Although eDNA has been demonstrated as a useful tool for the detection of invasive and/or cryptic and declining species, this approach is subject to the same considerations that limit the interpretation of results from traditional survey techniques (e.g. imperfect detection). The wood turtle is a cryptic semi-aquatic species that is declining across its range and, like so many chelonian species, is in-need of a rapid and effective method for monitoring distribution and abundance. To meet this need, we used an eDNA approach to sample for wood turtle presence in northern Virginia streams. At the same time, we used repeat visual encounter surveys in an occupancy-modelling framework to validate our eDNA results and reveal the relationship of detection and occupancy for both methods. We sampled 37 stream reaches of varying size within and beyond the known distribution of the wood turtle across northern Virginia. Wood turtle occupancy probability was 0.54 (0.31, 0.76) and while detection probability for wood turtle occupancy was high (0.88; 0.58, 0.98), our detection of turtle abundance was markedly lower (0.28; 0.21, 0.37). We detected eDNA at 76% of sites confirmed occupied by VES and at an additional three sites where turtles were not detected but were known to occur. Environmental DNA occupancy probability was 0.55 (0.29, 0.78); directly comparable to the VES occupancy estimate. Higher probabilities of detecting wood turtle eDNA were associated with higher turtle densities, an increasing number of days since the last rainfall, lower water temperatures, and lower relative discharges. Our results suggest that eDNA technology holds promise for sampling aquatic chelonians in some systems, even when discharge is high and biomass is relatively low, when the approach is validated and sampling error is quantified.

Dataset Information

Temperament and sexual behaviour in the Furrowed Wood Turtle Rhinoclemmys areolata.

Publications

Temperament and sexual behaviour in the Furrowed Wood Turtle Rhinoclemmys areolata.

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