Selected aspects of semi-aquatic turtle assemblages in east-central Kansas ponds

Ponds are common in many agricultural landscapes and provide aquatic habitat for wildlife. Most studies of semi-aquatic turtle assemblages have been conducted in lotic environments or large lentic habitats (e.g., lakes, reservoirs), but few studies have described pond communities. We used Frame nets and basking traps to sample turtle assemblages within eight ponds located in east-central Kansas (Lyon Co.) from 15 May 2007 – 1 October 2007. Our objective was to describe selected aspects of the semiaquatic turtle assemblages in these ponds: species richness, relative abundance, catch per unit effort, and density. A total of 655 unique individuals were captured and four species were detected (Chrysemys picta bellii, N = 387; Trachemys scripta elegans, N = 188; Chelydra serpentina, N = 79; Pseudemys concinna, N = 1). Chrysemys picta bellii was usually the most abundant species, with T. s. elegans and C. serpentina ranked second and third, respectively. Likewise, catch per unit effort (an index of abundance) was usually greatest for C. p. bellii, and there was significant agreement (W = 0.67) among the rank abundances of the three most commonly encountered species among the eight ponds (χ2 = 10.8; d.f. = 2; P = 0.005). However, the identity of the numerically dominant species was not the same in all ponds. Mean density (i.e., number of turtles/ha) across all ponds was 178.6, 49.2, and 29.8 for C. p. bellii, T. s. elegans, and C. serpentina, respectively.