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Seasonal and daily activity patterns of leopard tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis Bell, 1828) on farmland in the Nama-Karoo, South Africa

Seasonal and daily activity patterns of leopard tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis Bell, 1828) on... The leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is the largest of southern Africa’s 13 tortoise species, and occurs in a variety of habitats from arid and semi-arid areas to mesic grassveld, savanna and bushveld. Seasonal activity patterns of S. pardalis were investigated as a function of rainfall, sex, time of day, temperature and time after sunrise on farmland in the semi-arid Nama-Karoo, South Africa. We predicted that because of seasonal rainfall, and subsequent increase in the food available, activity patterns of leopard tortoises would vary greatly among seasons, but that the primary constraint on activity levels within a season would be ambient temperature. Type of activity, time of day that the activity was performed, and the frequency that each activity was performed, differed among seasons. There was no overall seasonal difference in the level of activity with sex, but in certain seasons and with regard to specific activities, there were significant differences between the sexes. Diel activity was primarily bimodal in summer and autumn, and unimodal in winter and spring, with nonthermoregulatory activities being performed primarily in the afternoon. There was a positive correlation between number of tortoises caught and rainfall per season, but activity levels and number of tortoises walking and feeding was not correlated with seasonal rainfall. Leopard tortoise activity behaviours responded to ambient temperature, but results indicate that activity is also initiated by the time since sunrise. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png African Zoology Taylor & Francis

Seasonal and daily activity patterns of leopard tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis Bell, 1828) on farmland in the Nama-Karoo, South Africa

McMaster, M. K.; Downs, C. T.
African Zoology , Volume 48 (1): 12 – Apr 1, 2013
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Seasonal and daily activity patterns of leopard tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis Bell, 1828) on farmland in the Nama-Karoo, South Africa

Abstract

The leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is the largest of southern Africa’s 13 tortoise species, and occurs in a variety of habitats from arid and semi-arid areas to mesic grassveld, savanna and bushveld. Seasonal activity patterns of S. pardalis were investigated as a function of rainfall, sex, time of day, temperature and time after sunrise on farmland in the semi-arid Nama-Karoo, South Africa. We predicted that because of seasonal rainfall, and subsequent increase in the food...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© Zoological Society of Southern Africa
ISSN
2224-073X
eISSN
1562-7020
DOI
10.1080/15627020.2013.11407570
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is the largest of southern Africa’s 13 tortoise species, and occurs in a variety of habitats from arid and semi-arid areas to mesic grassveld, savanna and bushveld. Seasonal activity patterns of S. pardalis were investigated as a function of rainfall, sex, time of day, temperature and time after sunrise on farmland in the semi-arid Nama-Karoo, South Africa. We predicted that because of seasonal rainfall, and subsequent increase in the food available, activity patterns of leopard tortoises would vary greatly among seasons, but that the primary constraint on activity levels within a season would be ambient temperature. Type of activity, time of day that the activity was performed, and the frequency that each activity was performed, differed among seasons. There was no overall seasonal difference in the level of activity with sex, but in certain seasons and with regard to specific activities, there were significant differences between the sexes. Diel activity was primarily bimodal in summer and autumn, and unimodal in winter and spring, with nonthermoregulatory activities being performed primarily in the afternoon. There was a positive correlation between number of tortoises caught and rainfall per season, but activity levels and number of tortoises walking and feeding was not correlated with seasonal rainfall. Leopard tortoise activity behaviours responded to ambient temperature, but results indicate that activity is also initiated by the time since sunrise.

Journal

African Zoology – Taylor & Francis

Published: Apr 1, 2013

Keywords: Stigmochelys pardalis; leopard tortoise; activity patterns; activity behaviour; Nama-Karoo Biome; time of day; season

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