Mass mortality of Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica)

Authors

  • Jordan Catrysse Ontario Parks, 18050 Rondeau Park Road, RR 1 Morpeth, Ontario N0P 1X0
  • Emily Slavik Ontario Parks, 18050 Rondeau Park Road, RR 1 Morpeth, Ontario N0P 1X0
  • Jonathan Choquette Wildlife Preservation Canada, RR 5, 5420 Highway 6 North, Guelph, Ontario N1H 6J2
  • Ashley E. Leifso Wildlife Preservation Canada, RR 5, 5420 Highway 6 North, Guelph, Ontario N1H 6J2
  • Christina M. Davy Wildlife Preservation Canada, RR 5, 5420 Highway 6 North, Guelph, Ontario N1H 6J2

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v129i1.1671

Keywords:

Northern Map Turtle, Graptemys geographica, mass mortality, Lake Erie, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

We report a mass mortality of Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica [LeSueur, 1817]) on the north shore of Lake Erie, Ontario, Canada. Thirty-five dead adult females were recovered from a nesting area over a period of four weeks. Predation and boat strikes were both excluded as potential cause of death, but the actual cause could not be determined because of the poor condition of the carcasses. Other possible explanations for the mortality include poisoning, drowning, and infection with an unidentified pathogen. Mass mortality in long-lived species, such as turtles, can have long-term effects on population growth and is a cause for concern in a species at risk.

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Published

2015-06-05

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