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• Eastern box turtle populations are under increasing pressure

throughout their range from urbanization and anthropogenic

effects.

• The southeast has the highest human population growth rate

along with the highest diversity and abundance of turtles in the

United States (e.g., Buhlmann et al. 2008), and the coast in

particular experiences a disproportionate rate of human

development (Vitousek et al. 1997).

• These encounters result in removal of individuals from habitat

loss and fragmentation, road mortality, disease, collection for

pets, and injury from domestic pets (Dodd 2001).

• Prolonged patterns of removal of reproductive individuals from

healthy populations are exacerbated by naturally low rates of

mate detectability, reproductive output, and juvenile

survivorship (Belzer 2000).

• The Jekyll Island Authority Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC)

commonly receives displaced, injured, and freshly dead

females that possess viable eggs that can be incubated.

• Displaced and non-releasable individuals are placed in the GSTC

outdoor educational exhibit, where some reproduce.

• With a unique partnership between Rehabilitation and Research

Departments, released captive-raised juveniles can be

monitored in the wild through the use of radio telemetry to

determine the efficacy of head-starting as a means of

population augmentation on Jekyll Island.

• Home range sizes for juvenile box turtles are lacking. However,

juveniles have been observed to make linear movements in

excess of one hundred meters in a day (Jennings 2003).

INTRODUCTION & JUSTIFICATION

• Jekyll Island is a Georgia barrier island

located in Glynn County.

• It is a State Park that allows a maximum of

35% development, mandating that 65% of

the island remain undeveloped.

• Jekyll Island is home to the Georgia Sea

Turtle Center, a hospital that treats and

rehabilitates numerous native wildlife

species ranging from turtles to birds.

• There are 1618 hectares of upland

terrestrial habitat that includes both

permanent and ephemeral water sources.

• There is an established resident population

of box turtles that provides the potential to

study resident juveniles for comparison.

STUDY SITE

• Eggs retrieved from displaced live, injured, and freshly dead females are

incubated in situ in the outdoor exhibit at the GSTC.

• Hatchlings are maintained in the outdoor exhibit until they have reached a

minimum size of 130 grams. They are fed a concoction of veggies, berries,

and dog food twice weekly. It is visually confirmed that all individuals eat.

• Juveniles are given regular veterinary health assessments and cleared for

release during spring or fall prior to or after high heat indices. Three

individuals were released in May 2011 as a pilot and six more were released

in September.

• Juveniles are equipped with an ATS® R-1680 transmitter that is <10% of the

box turtle’s body weight.

• Transmitters are placed in the center of costal scutes. Growth rings are

avoided to allow for uninhibited growth. Transmitters are secured using

Waterweld® epoxy and thin antenna tubing to slide the antenna through for

easy removal and replacement. The epoxy is painted with non-toxic acrylic

paints to match the carapace to the best of our abilities.

• Turtles are tracked weekly to monitor survival, movement, and habitat use.

• Box turtles are captured for weights monthly during active seasons. Post-

release health assessments are conducted annually at the same time as

transmitter replacement.

• Points are taken to submeter accuracy using Trimble Juno GPS and Terrasync

software. Data are post-processed using GPS Pathfinder.

MATERIALS & METHODS

HOME RANGE RESULTS

SURVIVAL AND GROWTH RESULTS

• All juvenile box turtles survived more than a year post-release

and are still being monitored.

• One box turtle survived an attempted predation that surely

would have killed a hatchling.

• All box turtles gained weight.

REFERENCES Belzer, B. 2000. A nine year study of eastern box turtle courtship

with implications for reproductive success and conservation in a

translocated population. Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter 6:17-26.

Buhlmann, K.A., T.D. Tuberville, J.W. Gibbons. 2008. Turtles of the

Southeast. University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA.

Dodd, C.K., Jr. 2001. North American Box Turtles: A Natural

History. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK.

Jennings, A.H. 2003. Daily and seasonal activity patterns and

movement of juvenile box turtles (Terrapene carolina bauri) on

Egmont Key, Florida. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4: 578-

587.

Silverman, B. W. 1986. Density Estimation for Statistics and Data

Analysis. Chapman and Hall, London, United Kingdom.

Vitousek, P.M., H.A. Mooney, J. Lubchenco, and J.M. Melillo. 1997.

Human domination of Earth’s ecosystems. Science 277: 494-499.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to the National Box Turtle Conservation Committee for contributing financial support through the Lucille F. Stickel Award.

nps.gov

glynncounty.org

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Joseph Colbert1,2, Kimberly M. Andrews1,3, Terry M. Norton1

Home Range Size and Survival of Juvenile Head-started Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina) on

Jekyll Island, GA

• Comparison of home range sizes and habitat use patterns with

resident juveniles.

• Further characterization of home range behaviors to assess

drivers in variability in home range sizes within size classes.

• Standardized transect surveys using a trained wildlife detector

dog to assess relative density among habitat types.

• Focused health assessments of both established and resident

juveniles and adults.

• Behavioral interactions and competition between established

and resident individuals.

• Genetics characterization of established and resident individuals

to assess potential population consequences of the releases.

95%=0.83 ha

50%=0.16 ha

95%=10.70 ha

50%=1.95 ha

95%=0.47 ha

50%=0.08 ha

95%=2.16 ha

50%=0.28 ha

95%=1.90 ha

50%=0.33 ha

95%=0.94 ha

50%=0.07 ha

95%=0.82 ha

50%=0.16 ha 95%=23.57 ha

50%=3.69 ha

95%=0.89 ha

50%=0.20 ha

MCP=0.57 ha MCP=6.18 ha MCP=0.37 ha MCP=1.30 ha MCP=1.10 ha MCP=1.12 ha MCP=0.67 ha MCP=10.41 ha MCP=0.67 ha

Method N Average (Ha) Std. Dev. Minimum (Ha) Maximum (Ha)

MCP 9 2.49 3.47 0.37 10.41

Fixed Kernel

(50%) 9 0.77 1.24 0.07 3.69

Fixed Kernel

(95%) 9 4.70 7.77 0.47 23.57

• Home range sizes for Minimum Convex Polygon

and Fixed Kernels were generated using ArcInfo

9.3 Adobe extension (MCP) and ArcView 3.3

Animal Movement extension.

• Smoothing parameters (h) for kernels were

calculated using the ad hoc reference method

(Silverman 1986).

1 2 3

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We

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Individual Weights 5/2011-10/2012

Janie (#1)

Sheryl (#6)

Peter (#7)

Night Rider (#2)

Max (#3)

Sparticus (#8)

Aphrodite (#9)

Murray (#10)

Cleopatra (#11)