Daily and Seasonal Activity Rhythms of Wild Reeves' Turtles (Mauremys reevesii) in Qichun County, China

Abstract. – Determining activity rhythms is crucial for understanding the life history, ecology, and evolution of an animal species. Due to various anthropogenic threats, wild populations of Reeves' turtle (Mauremys reevesii) are diminishing throughout its geographic range in East Asia. Despite the endangered conservation status of this species, little is known about its activity rhythm. Therefore, the focus of this study was to radio track 23 wild Reeves' turtles in the field to determine their daily and seasonal activity patterns. We identified the Reeves' turtle as both diurnal and nocturnal, rather than the traditional classification of diurnal, with an average daily activity peak between 1800 and 2000 hours. In spring, the frequency of diurnal activity was higher than that of nocturnal activity, and males were significantly more active than females. In summer, total activity frequency increased significantly and was predominantly nocturnal, with no significant difference in activity found between males and females. In autumn, nocturnal activity decreased and males were significantly more active than females overall. Reeves' turtles hibernated from the end of October to mid-April. Our results elucidate the daily and seasonal activity rhythms of Reeves' turtles, thus providing a reference for understanding the life history of the species and potentially improving future conservation planning.