Open AccessA communal nesting site of the Central American river turtle (Dermatemys mawii) along the New River, Belize
Author(s) -
Nicole D. Jennings
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
herpetological bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.303
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2634-1387
pISSN - 1473-0928
DOI - 10.33256/hb152.710
Subject(s) - nesting (process) , turtle (robot) , geography , endangered species , population , fishery , ecology , biology , habitat , demography , sociology , materials science , metallurgy
The Central American river turtle, Dermatemys mawii, is a critically endangered species with declines in its population caused by human harvest. Previous knowledge of nesting behaviour is minimal, and communal nesting of D. mawii has not been described previously. Here we report the first observations of communal nesting of D. mawii and providerecommendations to researchers and conservationists on how to find D. mawii nests, based on observed communal nesting conditions, proximity to water, hydro-period, and vegetative cover.