Home Range and Movements of the Bog Turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii) in Maryland

Abstract

We studied the home ranges and movements of 50 bog turtles (Clemmys muhlenbergii) at two sites in Harford County, Maryland, from April 1996 to August 1997. These sites differ in size, land use, and stage of vegetative succession. One site (HA406) was intensively studied 17 years ago. Using radiotelemetry, we located turtles two times a week during the active season. The 95% Adaptive Kernel home range estimator was used to determine home ranges. Individual turtle home ranges varied from 0.003 ha to 3.12 ha with considerable variation between sites and years. There were no significant differences in home range size or movements between sexes or seasons (mating vs, postmating) although males had larger home ranges during the mating season. Many turtles at site HA406 had home ranges far larger than the average home range reported in the earlier study. An expansion in turtle home ranges may suggest a decrease in site quality resulting from invasion of multiflora rose. Some turtles moved out of their wetlands and across barriers, a finding that demonstrates the importance of appropriate habitat in corridors that connect populations

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