The effects of agricultural development on wood turtles (Clemmys insculpta) were investigated in Québec during 1994 and 1995.  Age structures, growth, and mutilation rates were compared between an agricultural population and a reference site in an undisturbed forest.  Turtles in the 0 - 4 age class were absent from samples taken at the agricultural site.  Overall, 23 % less juveniles were encountered at the agricultural site.  In addition, relatively fewer adults were captured from the 20 + age class.  Shell injuries were twice as common at the aricultural site when compared to the forest site; whereas, limb amputations were twice as frequent at the forest site.  Although shell injuries inflicted by predators occurred with similar frequencies at both sites, there were 2.7 times more fractures resulting from anthropogenic sources at the agricultural site.  Multiple limb loss occurred only at the forest site.  Tail amputations occurred with similar frequencies at both sites.  Casts of pleural scute annuli revealed that turtles at the agricultural site had significantly lower growth rates during their second decade of life.  Females at the forest site were significantly larger for all measurements recorded; whereas, males differed only with respect to carapace and plastron lengths.  Agricultural development may have resulted in reduced growth, recruitment, and predation rates, as well as increased adult mortality.

© Raymond A. Saumure  1997