Diet and habitat of the Scorpion Mud Turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides scorpioides) in the southern limit of the species’ distribution (Argentina).

CASSANO MJ; ALCALDE L

CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY

CHELONIAN RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Lugar: Lawrence; Año: 2022 vol. 21 p. 232 - 245

1071-8443

In this study we describe some ecological features of Kinosternon scorpioidesscorpioides from a section of the Argentina’s Chaco ecoregion encompassing the provinces ofSalta, Chaco, and Formosa, including the description of the capture sites and an analysis of thefeeding ecology of the species. Six field trips were made during the spring and summer monthsfrom 2016 to 2020. We captured 23 turtles: 8 in Salta, 8 in Chaco, and 7 in Formosa; allcorresponding to the dry portion of the Chaco ecoregion. They were found in a variety of aquaticenvironments (including those with considerable waste and human disturbance), and they alsoseemed to tolerate some fragmentation of the forest matrix. The analysis of 20 stomach contentsand 14 fecal samples corroborated that K. s. scorpioides is predominantly an opportunisticomnivore, capable of feeding upon a diverse variety of invertebrates, some small vertebrates, andlarge volumes of vegetal material. The present study provides some baseline information abouthabitat requirements and feeding habits of the southernmost known populations of K. s.scorpioides.