Factors Affecting Seasonal Migration of Herpetofauna Within Ledbetter Embayment
Institution
Murray State University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Howard Whiteman
Abstract
Reptiles and amphibians are important indicator species of the health of an ecosystem. However, little research has been conducted on the ecology of reptiles and amphibians within man-made reservoirs. This study focuses on the variables that affect movements of herpetofauna within Ledbetter Bay on Kentucky Lake, a reservoir of the Tennessee River. From April 2002 to October 2002, numerous species of herpetofauna were captured, and environmental variables, such as water depth, water and air temperatures, and lake elevation, were recorded. Red-eared sliders, Ouchita map turtles, and musk turtles were the most common species captured within the embayment. Preliminary analyses suggest that date, along with other correlated variables, seem to affects the abundance of each species, but in differing ways. Movements of recaptured turtles are currently being analyzed.
Factors Affecting Seasonal Migration of Herpetofauna Within Ledbetter Embayment
Reptiles and amphibians are important indicator species of the health of an ecosystem. However, little research has been conducted on the ecology of reptiles and amphibians within man-made reservoirs. This study focuses on the variables that affect movements of herpetofauna within Ledbetter Bay on Kentucky Lake, a reservoir of the Tennessee River. From April 2002 to October 2002, numerous species of herpetofauna were captured, and environmental variables, such as water depth, water and air temperatures, and lake elevation, were recorded. Red-eared sliders, Ouchita map turtles, and musk turtles were the most common species captured within the embayment. Preliminary analyses suggest that date, along with other correlated variables, seem to affects the abundance of each species, but in differing ways. Movements of recaptured turtles are currently being analyzed.