Opening a turtle graveyard: Size distribution of dead individuals of Phrynops geoffroanus (Pleurodira, Chelidae)

By

Rodrigues, João Fabrício Mota
Friol, Natália Rizzo
Silva, Wagnar C.
Demondes, Erica
Pinto, Antonio Millas
Fernandes-Ferreira, Hugo

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019-5-13

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

32

Pages

33--37

Subjects

Body size , Caatinga , Cedro , drought , freshwater turtles

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.32.e35658

 

Abstract

Aquatic animals, such as freshwater turtles, are much dependent on the water bodies where they live. Here we describe the size distribution of a population of Phrynopsgeoffroanus complex that died after the total drought of the artificial water reservoir where it lived in Caatinga. Amongst the 438 animals we found dead in the Cedro water reservoir, we measured the maximum carapace length of 72 individuals. The population was mainly composed of adult individuals and dead turtles measured in areas that kept water for longer were larger than animals from areas that dried up early.