Activity and Movement Patterns of the Tortoise Stigmochelys pardalis in a Subtropical Savanna
Radio-tracking studies of African tortoises have elucidated differences in spatial ecology in differing habitats. Our study aimed to demonstrate such patterns by radio tracking the Leopard Tortoise Stigmochelys pardalis in a subtropical savanna, northeast Swaziland. Activity of tracked tortoises was correlated with minimum temperatures and greater in the warm wet months compared with the cool, dry months. All tracked tortoises, however, remained active throughout the cool months, and none were observed entering a burrow or any other hibernaculum. The tortoises typically moved 0–89 m per day, with maximum daily movement of over 300 m. A dry river bed and game viewing road did not appear to obstruct the movement of the tortoises.Abstract
Home range as determined by minimum convex polygon (MCP) of six Stigmochelys pardalis radio-tracked in northeastern Swaziland. The numbers in the polygons refer to the tortoise and correspond with the numbers in Table 2. The solid lines indicate the position of gravel roads whereas the dashed line represents the Siphiso River bed.
Activity pattern, as measured by daily distance moved (± SE), of six radio-tracked Stigmochelys pardalis between January and September 2010, in northeastern Swaziland. The line shows the mean monthly minimum temperatures during the study period.
The distance between 113 paired fixes taken one day apart presented as a histogram, showing the minimum distance moved in a 24-h period by Stigmochelys pardalis in northeastern Swaziland.
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