Radio-telemetry study of home range size and activities of elongated tortoise Indotestudo elongata (Blyth, 1853) at Huai Kha Khang Wildlife Sanctuary

Abstract

Home range sizes and activities of the yellow tortoise, Indotestudo elongata (Blyth,1853) were studied at Khao Nang Rum Wildlife Research station, Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, UthaiThani Province, Thailand from June 1995 to May 1996. Thirteen tortoises studied consisted of five males and four females from Khao Nang Rum and two males and two females from captivity. Field data were collected by using the radio-telemetry technique with each transmitter attached to the tortoise's carapace. The median year-round home range sizes were 224,444 m[superscript 2] and 150,266 m[superscript 2] in males and females, respectively. The home range sizes of males and females were not significantly different (Mann-Whitney U-test) both in the dry and the wet seasons. Both male and females tortoises spent most of the daytime hiding and were more active in the wet season than in the dry season. It was found that they utilized different types of forest but were mostly found in mixed-deciduous forest. The tortoises appear to be capable of avoiding (protecting themselves from) forest fire as well. The captive tortoises, when reintroduced into natural habitat, tend to survive well. However, slight differences were found between captive and wild animals, captives had larger home range sizes, higher activity, and more diverse habitat use. The survival rate of the captives was 75% (that is, 3 out of 4 survived) and the annual weight changes followed the same pattern as in the wild tortoises.