Sex-biased seasonal capture rates in Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)

Abstract

We examined captures of Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, during the understudied summer-autumn transition period (August-September). The proportion of captured male turtles increased relative to the proportion of females during the late summer and early autumn sampling period, leading to male-biased capture rates in a population with a strongly female-biased sex ratio. We consider explanations for the capture bias in relation to sex-specific activity patterns and briefly discuss the implications of sampling period on the outcome of population structure studies.