Christina Nau - M2 Lecture Assignment 02d-f ~ Area Sensitive Species

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Oct 30, 2023

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Christina Nau EVR-3218-001 Professor Joseph September 24, 2023 Common Map Turtles Area Sensitivity 1. The species I chose to write about is the common map turtle, also known as Graptemys geographica (“Appendix C”). The common map turtle is a very common aquatic turtle species found across several waterways in the United States. The term “habitat composition” is defined as the food, cover, water, soil, and whatever other necessities a species must have in order to support itself (Joseph). Essentially, habitat composition refers to the components in an environment that a species needs to survive. The habitat composition preferred by the common map turtle contains large bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, and lakes, as well as basking areas where they can dry their shells out (Partymiller). They need large bodies of water to swim and drink water in, as well as basking areas where they can get out of the water to dry their shells out and prevent shell rot. They also like having vegetation as they will sometimes feed off it, but it also provides them cover for when they want to rest or if they need to hide from a predator. They may also wedge themselves between rocks of sediment at the bottom of the waterway they reside in when they rest or need to hide from a predator, as they blend in. 2. In the wild, the common map turtle thrives in thousands of gallons of water, since they live in streams, rivers, and lakes. These turtles are also pets to some people so they live in glass tanks or ponds, which if sized properly, would hold around 75 to 125 gallons of water (Hodsdon). On top of water, they must also have a decent-sized area to bask in, as

well as vegetation or something they can hide in when needed or desired. Area sensitivity means that the species is negatively affected by being on the edge of its preferred habitat (Joseph). The common map turtle is considered area-sensitive because they can be negatively affected by a poor environment that has bad water quality, no basking areas, or vegetation. Map turtles swim in open waters, in which they drink, so the quality must be decent, or else they could end up sick. Furthermore, they need a place to bask so their shell can dry a little, or else they can get shell rot and die. As pets, a lot of the time they do not get the proper amount of space or care that they need, which could lead to severe health problems if not taken care of right away. They need a form of water conditioner as a lot of water we use daily has chemicals in it that could kill or blind the turtle. They also need an appropriate amount of water to swim in, ideally, 10 gallons for every inch wide they are to keep them comfortable. A place to bask is also required, accompanied by direct sunlight or UVB to get vitamin D to help assist with their calcium. Overall, this species is very area sensitive as it requires a lot of water, sunlight, covers, and a place to bask. 3. Habitat arrangement means that the habitat a species lives in has the right amount of composition or food, cover, water, and soil that a species needs (Joseph). The common map turtle needs several types of habitats as it goes through its life cycle and that is why habitat arrangement is needed since you need an equivalent number of sources for a species to thrive, at all ages. An example of this is that hatchlings and adult males tend to live in shallower parts of streams and rivers since they are small, while adult females tend to live in deeper waters as they are much larger (Bulté). Furthermore, males and juvenile females tend to stay in the same habitat when the seasons change, whereas adult females

tend to migrate during the seasons (Bulté). Common map turtles rely heavily on open water as their food and water source, as well as rocks, vegetation, and sediment for cover. They need these sources and amounts in certain quantities because if one source is lacking, it could be the downfall of the species. A major example would be if there was no source of UVB or basking areas, most common map turtles would perish as they would develop shell rot. Furthermore, if there were no rocks or sediment at the bottom of the waterway they live in, predators could find them a lot sooner rather than if they had cover. While other sources are still in abundance, one source could throw everything off, and that is why habitat arrangement is vital to species’ survival. 4. From the research and information in the videos, it appears that there are conservation challenges for the common map turtle and those are a lack of resources in their environment, climate loss, limited water, and catching for profit. The common map turtle depends on water to live, and they do not always have suitable water to live and drink in so that leads to a big conservation challenge. With new construction in areas surrounding natural common map turtle environments, there is now a risk of habitat loss and pollution due to the building of new homes and warehouses. This habitat loss could drive these turtles to foreign habitats, which could throw their life cycle off balance as they might not have the resources they need to survive. Water could also be affected by storms, making the water very polluted or even flooding or drying up some waterways. Murky water would make visibility hard for the turtles, and I am sure it would not taste good either. If there is a lack of basking areas due to water levels, or environmental factors, the turtles could become very sick as their vitamin levels could be thrown off balance. Loss of vegetation could also cause turtles to die off, as they would not have a food source, or a

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place to safely rest, or hide. Lastly, common map turtles are caught purposely since they are sold to people as pets since they are one of the most common pet turtle species. You can find them at many pet stores, for cheap prices since there is an abundance of them around the States. All in all, the species is not being conserved very well because they have a lot of environmental factors and general threats against them.

Works Cited “Appendix C: A List of Area Sensitive Species and Key References.” Government of Ontario , www.ontario.ca/document/significant-wildlife-habitat-technical-guide/appendix-c-list- area-sensitive-species-and-key-references. Bulté, Grégory. “Northern Map Turtle / Tortue Géographique.” Northern Map Turtle , Opinicon Natural History, 19 May 2016, opinicon.wordpress.com/species-accounts/northern-map- turtle/. Hodsdon, Edward. “Northern Map Turtle Care Guide.” Northern Map Turtle , All Turtles, 27 Jan. 2020, www.allturtles.com/northern-map-turtle/. Joseph, Natascha. M2 Lecture 02f: Habitat Factors--Spatial Aspects of Habitat, https://usflearn.instructure.com/courses/1828354/pages/m2-lecture-02f-habitat-factors- spatial-aspects-of-habitat?module_item_id=31441119 Partymiller, Lindsay. “Common Map Turtle (Graptemys Geographica).” Species Profile: Common Map Turtle (Graptemys Geographica) | SREL Herpetology , Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia, srelherp.uga.edu/turtles/grageo.htm#:~:text=Individuals%20of%20this%20species %20prefer,aquatic%20habitats%20with%20gravel%20substrates.