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Effect Of Ingestion By Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii) On Seeds Of Riparian Vegetation, Jean Pierre Elbers

MSU Graduate Theses

The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a large freshwater turtle that inhabits many lotic water bodies in the Southeastern United States. The species consumes primarily fish but also consumes large amounts of vegetation including seeds of common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), tupelos (Nyssa sp.), willow oak (Quercus phellos), and pecan (Carya illinoensis). Captive specimens of M. temminckii were fed samples of the above-mentioned seeds to assess how the species affects ingested seeds in order to evaluate the potential role this species may play as a seed disperser. The proportion of seeds defecated intact varied with species (57−99 %), was lowest …