PRELIMINARY ETHOGRAM AND IN SITU TIME-ACTIVITY BUDGET OF THE ENIGMATIC CANE TURTLE (VIJAYACHELYS SILVATICA) FROM THE WESTERN GHATS, SOUTH INDIA

We documented in situ behavioral patterns of the endemic Cane Turtle (Vijayachelys silvatica) during the post-monsoon season, using direct observations on four individuals for a total of 53.9 h (males -30.3 h, n = 2; females -23.6 h, n = 2). We prepared an ethogram consisting of seven states and 10 events from these observations. This is the first ethogram made for an Indian turtle species. Preliminary time-budgets suggest females may be more active than males, and our observations suggest the possibility of other sex-specific behavioral traits, although our small sample sizes prohibit statistical validation at this time. We advocate long-term behavioral studies of the Cane Turtle in its natural habitat for conservation and management purposes.