Spatial Ecology of an Urban Population of Blanding’s Turtles in Ontario, Canada

Stéphanie J. Delay^1,*, Sarah B. Woods², and Jacqueline D. Litzgus¹

¹School of Natural Sciences and Vale Living with Lakes Centre, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada. ²Junction Creek Stewardship Committee, Sudbury, ON P3C 5E1, Canada. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 31, Special Issue 12: E85–E102

First published early online: 3 August 2024

Abstract
We studied the spatial ecology of globally endangered Emydoidea blandingii (Blanding’s Turtle) inhabiting a wetland in the urban center of Sudbury, ON, Canada. Between May 2013 and October 2014, we captured 12 individuals, 6 of which were radio-tagged and tracked. We found that home-range sizes (minimum convex polygon: mean = 32.9 ha) and minimum daily movements (mean = 47.5 m/day) were similar to those reported in the literature for conspecific turtles in more pristine habitats. However, we found that turtles displayed strong selection for specific habitat types including drainage channels, indicating that urbanization may have influenced habitat selection. In 2019, when we conducted follow-up surveys, we captured 1 new adult turtle, and found 1 previously captured turtle outside of its former home range, highlighting the importance of long-term studies to support effective conservation of endangered species in challenging urban landscapes.

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