SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.17 número2PRIMER REPORTE DE ECLOSIÓN DE LA TORTUGA CHOCOANA DE RÍO, Rhinoclemmys nasuta (BOULENGER 1902) (TESTUDINES: GEOEMYDIDAE)DIVERSIDAD DE ESCARABAJOS CARABIDAE Y SCARABAEIDAE DE UN BOSQUE TROPICAL EN EL MAGDALENA MEDIO COLOMBIANO índice de autoresíndice de materiabúsqueda de artículos
Home Pagelista alfabética de revistas  

Servicios Personalizados

Revista

Articulo

Indicadores

Links relacionados

  • En proceso de indezaciónCitado por Google
  • No hay articulos similaresSimilares en SciELO
  • En proceso de indezaciónSimilares en Google

Compartir


Boletín Científico. Centro de Museos. Museo de Historia Natural

versión impresa ISSN 0123-3068

Resumen

GARCES-RESTREPO, Mario Fernando; GIRALDO, Alan  y  CARR, John L.. POPULATION ECOLOGY AND MORPHOMETRIC VARIATION OF THE CHOCOAN RIVER TURTLE (Rhinoclemmys nasuta) FROM TWO LOCALITIES ON THE COLOMBIAN PACIFIC COAST. Bol. Cient. Mus. Hist. Nat. Univ. Caldas [online]. 2013, vol.17, n.2, pp.160-171. ISSN 0123-3068.

The Chocoan River Turtle, Rhinoclemmys nasuta (Geoemydidae), is a species of great importance due to its limited geographical distribution and threat status. In Colombia it is considered in the category data deficient (DD) and globally as a near-threatened species (NT). In this study we assessed the population density, variation in the demographic structure and population size, and morphometric variation in two localities. One island population has no human disturbance and the other, mainland locality is human-influenced. Population density was 6.3 times greater in the insular locality, which corresponds with the absence of some predators and human disturbance at this location. Additionally, there was no significant difference between localities in demographic structure and size classes, which may reflect that there is no removal of individuals for consumption or use as pets in the mainland population. On the other hand, body size was smaller on the island, a phenomenon that may be explained by a tendency of species to dwarfism in insular environments, or an effect of increased intraspecific competition. To clarify whether differences in population density and body size are attributable to island effects or to the difference in the degree of human disturbance between the two populations it will be necessary to sample at other locations on the mainland with different degrees of human disturbance. However, it is important to stress the importance of Isla Palma as a site for regional conservation of R. nasuta.

Palabras clave : human disturbance; geographic isolation; population density; habitat degradation; morphometric variation; island effect.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Inglés     · Inglés ( pdf )