SREL Reprint #1984

Sternotherus minor (Loggerhead musk turtle) foraging depth

Frank R. Hensley

Department of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA, and Savannah River Ecology Laboratory

On 20 October 1992 an adult male S. minor was encountered feeding on a crayfish (Astacoidea) underwater at a depth of 12.5 m. The observation was made in Catfish Hotel, a spring-fed sink hole at Manatee Springs State Park, Levy County, Florida. The sex of the turtle was determined based on its relative head size. After being observed for several seconds, the turtle abandoned the partially eaten crayfish and retreated under a log at 13 m depth. Dive depths of freshwater turtles have not been well documented. Most freshwater turtles are presumed to forage in shallow habitats where depth does not pose physical or physiological limits. This report suggests that S. minor forages at substantial depths when deep habitats are available.

SREL Reprint #1984

Hensley, F.R. 1994. Sternotherus minor (Loggerhead musk turtle) foraging depth. Herpetological Review 26:99.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).