Article Review: Nesting Ecology and Habitat use of Chelydra Serpentina

Article Name: Nesting Ecology and Habitat Use of Chelydra Serpentina in an Area Modified by Agricultural and Industrial Activity.

Author(s): Molly M. Thompson, Brittney H. Coe, Justin D. Congdon, Dean F. Stauffer, and Willam A. Hopkins.

Link: http://www.herpconbio.org/Volume_12/Issue_1/Thompson_etal_2017.pdf

In this Article, they studied the Cheldydra Serpentina, commonly known as the Common Snapping Turtles, and their nest sites located in modified breeding grounds and industrial land use. The reason for the this species type is because the are vulnerable to Hg (Mercury) accumulation because they live long, have slow maturity, they feed in the bottom of lake and rivers, and have small home ranges. They also studied the South River near Waynesboro, Virginia. The reason they picked this study area because this area is an historical Hg point source and has been modified and polluted. They studied for 2 season of breeding, which were May and June, where nesting activity is high. They found that mercury levels on female common snapping turtles are high and are known to cause sub-lethal and lethal effects in other species living in that river. They did Nesting surveys where they checked up on the nesting both morning and in the evening and assigned identification numbers to each nest and recorded the coordinates of the nest. During the two seasons of surveying they found that 90% of the Common Snapping Turtle's nest were located in human disturbed soil (79% in agricultural fields and 11% in commercial nurseries). Between the high mercury sites and control site, they found that 52% were located in high density nesting areas in agricultural fields surrounded by the river on three sides of the nest. About 66% of nest were destroyed at high mercury polluted sites. Finding the percentage of each nesting site they concluded that the turtles are likely to nest in agricultural areas which could influence the fate of nests or development of embryos.

This study is very important because the numerous decline in freshwater turtle species is due to habitat loss and pollution. This article proves that due to pollution we effect the nesting sites (which most are destroyed) and the developing embryo. Using this study we can correlate and use a similar study to other herpes living in polluted rivers and streams by manufacturing plants, which is common all over in today's world. I found this extreme interesting to me because my favorite herpe are turtles (green sea turtles). Finding out more about how polluting areas of rivers and streams can not just hurt the animal but also with reproduction (especially because turtles already have a slow reproduction rate) but also their nest and embryos is heart breaking. Spreading the word around that this is happen, can be a first step in helping these freshwater species.

Pictures

This is a picture of the area of the South River in Virginia where they studied the nest of Common Snapping Turtles

This is a picture of a nest or nest site of a common snapping turtle

This is a picture of a Chelydra Serpentine (common snapping turtle)

Works Cited

Thompson, Molly M., Brittney H. Coe, Justin D. Congdon, Dean F. Stauffer, and William A. Hopkins. "Nesting Ecology and Habitat Use of Chelydra Serpentina in an Area Modified by Agricultural and Industrial Activity." Herpetological Conservation and Biology 12(2017): 292-306. 30 Apr. 2017. Web. 5 May 2017.