Movements of loggerhead musk turtles ( Sternotherus minor ) in a Central Florida Spring-run

Movement patterns of turtles can vary depending on environmental pressures and can correlate with sex, size, and location. We analyzed the movements of Loggerhead Musk Turtles (Sternotherus minor) in Wekiwa Springs State Park, Florida, over a period of 6 years using capture, mark, recapture sampling. To record turtle movements, we divided the spring run into ten 100 m segments. Individuals with 2 or more data entries of segment locations were used for this study, with each paired capture/recapture constituting one event. A majority of the events, 60.9%, showed no inter-segment movement; 87.5% of the movement events were one segment or less, a maximum distance of 200 m. We used canonical discriminant analysis to determine that the movement or lack of movement between segments cannot be explained by any of the variables examined. Future research is needed into the movement ecology and based on lack of movements, the potential for territoriality and dominance hierarchies in Loggerhead Musk Turtles. We strongly recommend the use of radio telemetry to learn more about the nuanced movements of this small turtle.