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| Duckling Wood Ducks nibbling away as the sun sets. |
Now that I am half way
through my last field season, there are some obvious dietary patterns for
Western pond turtles (Emys marmorata)
living in this Santa Rosa Creek. They are carnivores that eat a wide variety of
organisms including dragonfly nymphs and adults, crayfish, small boney fishes,
and soft-bodies organisms (i.e., scuds, worms, and snails). Because they grab
their prey with their beak-like mouth and then swallow it whole, they often
times they swallow the vegetation or pieces of substrate (i.e., creek bed or
bank) the organisms are sitting on. Therefore, it is not surprising that I find
sand, gravel, bark, and vegetation in their stomachs as well. In addition,
there are no patterns regarding age, size, or gender when it comes to the presence
of this kind of debris in their stomachs. Finally, they are opportunistic and
eat whatever food resource is available.
The next post begins to develop the story behind the evolution of my research so it is easier to understand its value.
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| Okay, everybody likes a duckling ... well I do. I grew up on a farm and my first pet was a Luke the Duck. These are some Wood Ducks feeding in a nearby lagoon. |
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