Sex-biased seasonal capture rates in Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)

Abstract

We examined captures of Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, during the understudied summer–autumn transition period (August–September). The proportion of captured male turtles increased relative to the proportion of females during the late summer and early autumn sampling period, leading to male-biased capture rates in a population with a strongly female-biased sex ratio. We consider explanations for the capture bias in relation to sex-specific activity patterns and briefly discuss the implications of sampling period on the outcome of population structure studies.