Relative vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality

David A. Steen; M. J. Aresco; S. G. Beilke; B. W. Compton; E. P. Condon; C. Kenneth Dodd; H. Forrester; J. W. Gibbons; J. L. Greene; G. Johnson; T. A. Langen; M. J. Oldham; D. N. Oxier; R. A. Saumure; F. W. Schueler; J. M. Sleeman; L. L. Smith; J. K. Tucker; J. P. Gibbs

doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2006.00032.x

Relative vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality

David A. Steen
, M. J. Aresco
, S. G. Beilke
, B. W. Compton
, E. P. Condon
, C. Kenneth Dodd
, H. Forrester
, J. W. Gibbons
, J. L. Greene
, G. Johnson
, T. A. Langen
, M. J. Oldham
, D. N. Oxier
, R. A. Saumure
, F. W. Schueler
, J. M. Sleeman
, L. L. Smith
, J. K. Tucker
, J. P. Gibbs

Environmental Biology

College of Environmental Science & Forestry

Box 2324
Florida State University
The Pacific Northwest Turtle Project
University of Massachusetts
United States Geological Survey
Turtle Rescue of New Jersey
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
Clarkson University
Government of Ontario
Ohio Department of Health
McGill University
Research Division
Bishops Mills Natural History Centre
Wildlife Center of Virginia
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

204 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that freshwater turtle populations are becoming increasingly male-biased. A hypothesized cause is a greater vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing sex ratios from published and unpublished population surveys of turtles conducted on- versus off-roads. Among 38 166 turtles from 157 studies reporting sex ratios, we found a consistently larger female fraction in samples from on-roads (61%) than off-roads (41%). We conclude that female turtles are indeed more likely to cross roadways than are males, which may explain recently reported skewed sex ratios near roadways and signify eventual population declines as females are differentially eliminated.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	269-273
Number of pages	5
Journal	Animal Conservation
Volume	9
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2006.00032.x
State	Published - Aug 2006

Keywords

Data synthesis
Highways
Nesting migrations
Reptile
Road mortality
Roads
Sex ratio
Turtles

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Steen, D. A., Aresco, M. J., Beilke, S. G., Compton, B. W., Condon, E. P., Dodd, C. K., Forrester, H., Gibbons, J. W., Greene, J. L., Johnson, G., Langen, T. A., Oldham, M. J., Oxier, D. N., Saumure, R. A., Schueler, F. W., Sleeman, J. M., Smith, L. L., Tucker, J. K., & Gibbs, J. P. (2006). Relative vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality. Animal Conservation, 9(3), 269-273. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2006.00032.x

@article{620ff59557e64098b53d42fd92910d66,

title = "Relative vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality",

abstract = "Recent studies suggest that freshwater turtle populations are becoming increasingly male-biased. A hypothesized cause is a greater vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing sex ratios from published and unpublished population surveys of turtles conducted on- versus off-roads. Among 38 166 turtles from 157 studies reporting sex ratios, we found a consistently larger female fraction in samples from on-roads (61\%) than off-roads (41\%). We conclude that female turtles are indeed more likely to cross roadways than are males, which may explain recently reported skewed sex ratios near roadways and signify eventual population declines as females are differentially eliminated.",

keywords = "Data synthesis, Highways, Nesting migrations, Reptile, Road mortality, Roads, Sex ratio, Turtles",

author = "Steen, \{David A.\} and Aresco, \{M. J.\} and Beilke, \{S. G.\} and Compton, \{B. W.\} and Condon, \{E. P.\} and Dodd, \{C. Kenneth\} and H. Forrester and Gibbons, \{J. W.\} and Greene, \{J. L.\} and G. Johnson and Langen, \{T. A.\} and Oldham, \{M. J.\} and Oxier, \{D. N.\} and Saumure, \{R. A.\} and Schueler, \{F. W.\} and Sleeman, \{J. M.\} and Smith, \{L. L.\} and Tucker, \{J. K.\} and Gibbs, \{J. P.\}",

year = "2006",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1111/j.1469-1795.2006.00032.x",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "269--273",

journal = "Animal Conservation",

issn = "1367-9430",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "3",

}

Steen, DA, Aresco, MJ, Beilke, SG, Compton, BW, Condon, EP, Dodd, CK, Forrester, H, Gibbons, JW, Greene, JL, Johnson, G, Langen, TA, Oldham, MJ, Oxier, DN, Saumure, RA, Schueler, FW, Sleeman, JM, Smith, LL, Tucker, JK & Gibbs, JP 2006, 'Relative vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality', Animal Conservation, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 269-273. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2006.00032.x

TY - JOUR

T1 - Relative vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality

AU - Steen, David A.

AU - Aresco, M. J.

AU - Beilke, S. G.

AU - Compton, B. W.

AU - Condon, E. P.

AU - Dodd, C. Kenneth

AU - Forrester, H.

AU - Gibbons, J. W.

AU - Greene, J. L.

AU - Johnson, G.

AU - Langen, T. A.

AU - Oldham, M. J.

AU - Oxier, D. N.

AU - Saumure, R. A.

AU - Schueler, F. W.

AU - Sleeman, J. M.

AU - Smith, L. L.

AU - Tucker, J. K.

AU - Gibbs, J. P.

PY - 2006/8

Y1 - 2006/8

N2 - Recent studies suggest that freshwater turtle populations are becoming increasingly male-biased. A hypothesized cause is a greater vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing sex ratios from published and unpublished population surveys of turtles conducted on- versus off-roads. Among 38 166 turtles from 157 studies reporting sex ratios, we found a consistently larger female fraction in samples from on-roads (61%) than off-roads (41%). We conclude that female turtles are indeed more likely to cross roadways than are males, which may explain recently reported skewed sex ratios near roadways and signify eventual population declines as females are differentially eliminated.

AB - Recent studies suggest that freshwater turtle populations are becoming increasingly male-biased. A hypothesized cause is a greater vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing sex ratios from published and unpublished population surveys of turtles conducted on- versus off-roads. Among 38 166 turtles from 157 studies reporting sex ratios, we found a consistently larger female fraction in samples from on-roads (61%) than off-roads (41%). We conclude that female turtles are indeed more likely to cross roadways than are males, which may explain recently reported skewed sex ratios near roadways and signify eventual population declines as females are differentially eliminated.

KW - Data synthesis

KW - Highways

KW - Nesting migrations

KW - Reptile

KW - Road mortality

KW - Roads

KW - Sex ratio

KW - Turtles

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/33746304227

U2 - 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2006.00032.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2006.00032.x

M3 - Article

SN - 1367-9430

VL - 9

SP - 269

EP - 273

JO - Animal Conservation

JF - Animal Conservation

IS - 3

ER -

Relative vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality

Abstract

Keywords

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