Effects of anthropogenic habitat disturbance on the home range size and habitat preference of the Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)

Abstract

The Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is a vulnerable species with decreasing population density from anthropogenic development and habitat loss. To determine the impact of electric utility pole replacement and vegetation maintenance on the home range size and habitat preference of T. carolina carolina, we radio-tagged 13 box turtles and located them weekly from April to November 2019, recording several habitat measurements at each location. We performed a principal component analysis of vegetation data and estimated home range size using 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP), kernel, and Brownian-bridge methods. Our data indicate that turtles prefer shrub cover and avoid rocky areas. While there was no significant difference between male and female home range size, a post hoc analysis dividing females into right-of-way (ROW) and non-ROW groups revealed a significant difference in female home range size, which may result from accessibility of higher-quality nesting sites within the ROW compared with surrounding forest stands.