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Deirochelys Reticularia (Latreille 1801) – Chicken Turtle

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Deirochelys Reticularia (Latreille 1801) – Chicken Turtle Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation ProjectEmydidae of the IUCN/SSC — Deirochelys Tortoise and Freshwaterreticularia Turtle Specialist Group 014.1 A.G.J. Rhodin, P.C.H. Pritchard, P.P. van Dijk, R.A. Saumure, K.A. Buhlmann, and J.B. Iverson, Eds. Chelonian Research Monographs (ISSN 1088-7105) No. 5, doi:10.3854/crm.5.014.reticularia.v1.2008 © 2008 by Chelonian Research Foundation • Published 26 June 2008 Deirochelys reticularia (Latreille 1801) – Chicken Turtle KURT A. BUHLM A NN 1, J. WHITFIELD GI bb ONS 1, A ND DA LE R. JA C K SON 2 1University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Lab, Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina 29802 USA [[email protected]; [email protected]]; 2Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Florida State University, 1018 Thomasville Road, Suite 200-C, Tallahassee, Florida 32303 USA [[email protected]] SUMM A RY . – The chicken turtle, Deirochelys reticularia (Family Emydidae), is a semi-aquatic turtle inhabiting temporary and permanent freshwater and adjacent terrestrial habitats through- out much of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains of the USA. Three subspecies are recognized: D. r. reticularia, D. r. chrysea, and D. r. miaria. Local population sizes are generally small; as such, chicken turtles are seldom the dominant species of turtle at any site. The species differs from most other North American turtles in having a nesting season that extends from fall to spring, followed by a long incubation period. Threats to this species come from the disruption, destruction, or isola- tion of freshwater wetlands, including small or temporary ones, and the elimination or alteration of surrounding terrestrial habitats. The species is not currently considered globally endangered, though some peripheral populations (e.g., those in Missouri and Virginia) are listed as locally en- dangered. DISTRI B UTION . – USA. The range extends from North Carolina, through peninsular Florida, to eastern Texas, primarily in the coastal plain, and includes populations in Virginia and Oklahoma through Arkansas to southeastern Missouri. SYNONYMY . – Testudo reticularia Latreille 1801, Emys reticularia, Clemmys reticularia, Deiro- chelys reticularia, Testudo reticulata Daudin 1801, Emys reticulata, Terrapene reticulata, Clemmys reticulata, Deirochelys reticulata, Chrysemys reticulata. SU B SPECIES . – Three recognized: Deirochelys reticularia reticularia (Eastern Chicken Turtle), Deirochelys reticularia chrysea Schwartz 1956 (Florida Chicken Turtle), and Deirochelys reticularia miaria Schwartz 1956 (Western Chicken Turtle). ST A TUS . – IUCN 2007 Red List: Not Listed (= Least Concern, LR/lc) (assessed 1996, needs up- dating); CITES: Not Listed; US ESA: Not Listed. Figure 1. Adult Deirochelys reticularia from central Florida. Photo by Kurt A. Buhlmann. 014.2 Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises • Chelonian Research Monographs, No. 5 Figure 3. Adult Deirochelys reticularia from the Savannah River Site, Aiken County, South Carolina. Photo by Kurt A. Buhlmann. bons and Greene 1978; Jackson 1988). The maximum size reported for the species is approximately 250 mm CL for females and 157 for males. Sexual dimorphism is evident in all populations, with females reaching larger sizes (Gibbons and Lovich 1990) and males having longer, thicker tails. Unlike many other emydid turtles with which they co-exist, chicken turtles exhibit no sexual dimorphism in length of the foreclaws. The carapace may be brown, tan, or olive. A reticulate pattern of light yellow lines is often visible. The plastron is usually plain yellow. Patterning on the bridge varies among individuals and may be expressed as a black bar, one or two spots, or no markings. The brown to olive skin has yellow- ish stripes on the head and legs, with one on each foreleg usually being much broader. Vertical stripes are visible on the proximal posterior portion of the hindlegs. Figure 2. Adult Deirochelys reticularia from the Savannah River Site, Aiken County, South Carolina. Photo by Kurt A. Buhlmann. Taxonomy. — This species was originally described as Testudo reticularia by Latreille in 1801 based on a speci- men presumed to be from the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina. During the next century, the species was assigned to various genera (Emys [Schweigger 1814], Terrapene [Bonaparte 1831], Clemmys [Strauch 1862], and Chrysemys [Cope 1875]). Moreover, it was misspelled Dirochelys by Baur (1890), Hirochelys by Beyer (1900), and Dierochelys by Loding (1922). The original spelling (Deirochelys) by Agassiz (1857) and used by Gray (1870) is the correct usage. Schwartz (1956) separated the species into three subspecies (D. r. reticularia, D. r. chrysea, and D. r. miaria), which are still recognized. The chicken turtle’s apparently monophyletic evolution as a genus, since at least the early Miocene (Jackson 1978), is unusual among the many genera of turtles occurring in the southeastern United States. Although many early authors suggested a close relationship between Deirochelys and the genus Emydoidea, based principally on their similarly long necks, most recent turtle systematists have rejected this hy- pothesis (Jackson 1978; Seidel and Adkins 1989) and view the two as convergent. Description. — Hatchling chicken turtles average about 30 mm in carapace length (CL). Males reach maturity at Figure 4. Hatchling Deirochelys reticularia. Top: from Pinellas plastron lengths (PL) of 75–80 mm; whereas, mature females County, Florida; photo by George Heinrich. Bottom: from Dixie are generally more than 140 mm PL (Gibbons 1969; Gib- County, Florida; photo by Michael A. Ewert. Emydidae — Deirochelys reticularia 014.3 Figure 5. Distribution of Deirochelys reticularia in southeastern USA. Red points = museum and literature occurrence records based on published records plus more recent and authors’ data; green shading = projected distribution based on GIS-defined hydrologic unit compartments (HUCs) constructed around verified localities and then adding HUCs that connect known point localities in the same watershed or physiographic region, and similar habitats and elevations as verified HUCs (Buhlmann et al., unpubl. data), and adjusted based on authors’ data. The carapace is longer than wide and is widest toward most abundantly consumed food items in a Carolina bay in the rear, appearing somewhat pear-shaped from above. The South Carolina during the summer months (Demuth and edges of all marginals are smooth. Fine, longitudinal ridges Buhlmann 1997). The long neck allows the chicken turtle to occur over much of the surface of the carapace. The vertebrals strike rapidly to capture prey items that are capable of quick are wider than long, and the plastral formula is abd > an > gul escape. Small fishes and fishing spiders may be taken alive in > fem > hum >< pect (Ernst and Barbour 1989, but see Lovich this manner. At least some scavenging of dead fish and other and Ernst 1989). The neck is extremely long; the head and neck animals is likely. Terrestrial insects and adult dragonflies, extended being approximately as long as the plastron. presumably captured after they have fallen into the water, Distribution. — The contiguous range of D. reticularia are also included in the diet. extends from middle North Carolina, through peninsular The general reproductive cycle of the chicken turtle is Florida, to eastern Texas, primarily in the coastal plain. distinctive from all other species of North American turtles. Populations occur in southeastern Oklahoma, through the Deirochelys reticularia has not been reported to nest dur- southern half of Arkansas, and up the Mississippi River val- ing the late spring and summer months to which most other ley to southeastern Missouri. Isolated populations are found North American turtles confine their nesting activities. In on the Outer Banks of North Carolina (Braswell 1988) and Florida, Carr (1952) reported chicken turtles nesting from in southeastern Virginia (Mitchell and Buhlmann 1991). September to January, and Jackson (1988) observed nest- Deirochelys r. chrysea ranges throughout peninsular ing from September into March. The majority of nesting by Florida; whereas, D. r. miaria is found west of the Missis- South Carolina females has been observed in late August to sippi River, and D. r. reticularia occupies the remainder of November and from February into April, but some nesting the range from Louisiana, east of the Mississippi River, to has been documented in December and January. Virginia and northern Florida. Clutch sizes of chicken turtles have been reported as high Habitat and Ecology. — Deirochelys reticularia is as 12 (mean = 8) in South Carolina (Gibbons et al. 1982) and an aquatic species, but individuals of both sexes frequently 19 (mean = 9.5) in Florida (Jackson 1988). Two clutches are travel overland for purposes other than egg-laying (Bennett frequently laid within a year in South Carolina; whereas, as et al. 1970; Gibbons 1970; Buhlmann 1995). Although the many as four clutches per year have been reported from Florida species appears to be principally diurnal, Buhlmann (1998) (Buhlmann 1998; Ewert 2006). Retention of hard-shelled eggs observed aquatic nocturnal activity during March in South from autumn to spring has been documented in South Carolina. Carolina. Both sexes of D .reticularia in Florida were most The ability to retain eggs presumably prevents the loss of that active during morning hours and early evening after dark (Ewert reproductive effort when an early cold period truncates the
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