MOVEMENT OF PAINTED TURTLES IN A RESTORED WETLAND NEAR DUBUQUE,
IA.

Larkin A. Powell and Marilyn Kuhns.  
Department of Biology, Environmental Science Program, University of Dubuque, Dubuque, IA
52001.

We captured Eastern painted turtles in a restored wetland in Mines of Spain State Recreation
Area near Dubuque, Iowa in fall 2000.  Five turtles were monitored with radio transmitters,
attached with adhesive to their carapace.  The attachment method worked well, and turtles were
released after 3 days in the laboratory to ensure the radios were attached.  The turtles weighed
between 80 and 610 grams with lengths from 7.7 cm to 17.1 cm.  Radio telemetry data was
gathered as bearings from fixed locations surrounding the wetland.  Program Locate II was used
to estimate location of the turtles, and ArcView GIS was used to estimate home range size. 
Turtles stayed near the area of the wetland that they were captured.  Recaptured turtles were used
to estimate population size in this restored wetland (N = 29.4, SE = 14.95). 

Keywords: painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, restored wetland, movement, population size