Hibernation Habitat Selection by the Threatened Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in the Yellow River Wetlands of Northwest China: Implications for Conservation Management
ABSTRACT Hibernation is a crucial aspect of the life history of freshwater turtles inhabiting temperate regions. Therefore, understanding their hibernation habitat selection is essential for the targeted conservation of turtle species and their habitats. The Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sine...
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2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70789 |
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| author | Qingjun Zhu Meiling Hong Qiutong Xie Fei Kong Liu Lin Hai‐tao Shi |
| author_facet | Qingjun Zhu Meiling Hong Qiutong Xie Fei Kong Liu Lin Hai‐tao Shi |
| author_sort | Qingjun Zhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Hibernation is a crucial aspect of the life history of freshwater turtles inhabiting temperate regions. Therefore, understanding their hibernation habitat selection is essential for the targeted conservation of turtle species and their habitats. The Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), a medium‐sized freshwater turtle, is widely distributed in China; however, populations are rapidly declining, and threatened by habitat destruction, overfishing, and water pollution. Little is known regarding this species' habitat selection during the winter months. In 2020–2022, we equipped 22 P. sinensis with radio transmitters (VHF), and we successfully relocated 13 turtles, 11 of which were buried in submerged substrates and 2 buried in terrestrial soil for hibernation. In aquatic habitats, turtles preferred ponded areas formed during the dry period of the Yellow River with low water velocity and less anthropogenic disturbance. However, we found little evidence for the selection of dissolved oxygen levels. In terrestrial habitats, turtles are buried under densely vegetated soils with their dorsal carapace approximately 5 cm beneath the surface, allowing respiration through a protruded neck. Terrestrial hibernacula were close to the water, maintained more than 30% humidity throughout the winter, and were effectively protected against freezing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first formal report of the behavior of terrestrial hibernation in softshell turtles. Our results suggest that P. sinensis has selectivity toward hibernation habitats with specific microenvironmental characteristics, indicating that protection of the characterized habitats provided in this study is important for the future conservation of this threatened softshell turtle species. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a762910e803a4bd7a5a64d6e9d175afd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-a762910e803a4bd7a5a64d6e9d175afd2025-01-29T05:08:41ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-01-01151n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70789Hibernation Habitat Selection by the Threatened Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in the Yellow River Wetlands of Northwest China: Implications for Conservation ManagementQingjun Zhu0Meiling Hong1Qiutong Xie2Fei Kong3Liu Lin4Hai‐tao Shi5Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences Hainan Normal University Haikou ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences Hainan Normal University Haikou ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences Hainan Normal University Haikou ChinaShaanxi Provincial Institute of Zoology Xian ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences Hainan Normal University Haikou ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences Hainan Normal University Haikou ChinaABSTRACT Hibernation is a crucial aspect of the life history of freshwater turtles inhabiting temperate regions. Therefore, understanding their hibernation habitat selection is essential for the targeted conservation of turtle species and their habitats. The Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), a medium‐sized freshwater turtle, is widely distributed in China; however, populations are rapidly declining, and threatened by habitat destruction, overfishing, and water pollution. Little is known regarding this species' habitat selection during the winter months. In 2020–2022, we equipped 22 P. sinensis with radio transmitters (VHF), and we successfully relocated 13 turtles, 11 of which were buried in submerged substrates and 2 buried in terrestrial soil for hibernation. In aquatic habitats, turtles preferred ponded areas formed during the dry period of the Yellow River with low water velocity and less anthropogenic disturbance. However, we found little evidence for the selection of dissolved oxygen levels. In terrestrial habitats, turtles are buried under densely vegetated soils with their dorsal carapace approximately 5 cm beneath the surface, allowing respiration through a protruded neck. Terrestrial hibernacula were close to the water, maintained more than 30% humidity throughout the winter, and were effectively protected against freezing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first formal report of the behavior of terrestrial hibernation in softshell turtles. Our results suggest that P. sinensis has selectivity toward hibernation habitats with specific microenvironmental characteristics, indicating that protection of the characterized habitats provided in this study is important for the future conservation of this threatened softshell turtle species.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70789aquatic hibernationconservationfreshwater turtleoverwintering behaviorterrestrial hibernaculum |
| spellingShingle | Qingjun Zhu Meiling Hong Qiutong Xie Fei Kong Liu Lin Hai‐tao Shi Hibernation Habitat Selection by the Threatened Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in the Yellow River Wetlands of Northwest China: Implications for Conservation Management Ecology and Evolution aquatic hibernation conservation freshwater turtle overwintering behavior terrestrial hibernaculum |
| title | Hibernation Habitat Selection by the Threatened Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in the Yellow River Wetlands of Northwest China: Implications for Conservation Management |
| title_full | Hibernation Habitat Selection by the Threatened Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in the Yellow River Wetlands of Northwest China: Implications for Conservation Management |
| title_fullStr | Hibernation Habitat Selection by the Threatened Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in the Yellow River Wetlands of Northwest China: Implications for Conservation Management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hibernation Habitat Selection by the Threatened Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in the Yellow River Wetlands of Northwest China: Implications for Conservation Management |
| title_short | Hibernation Habitat Selection by the Threatened Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in the Yellow River Wetlands of Northwest China: Implications for Conservation Management |
| title_sort | hibernation habitat selection by the threatened chinese softshell turtle pelodiscus sinensis in the yellow river wetlands of northwest china implications for conservation management |
| topic | aquatic hibernation conservation freshwater turtle overwintering behavior terrestrial hibernaculum |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70789 |
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