BOX TURTLES (TERRAPENE-CAROLINA) AS POTENTIAL AGENTS FOR SEED DISPERSAL

Terrapene carolina were fed wild fruits of common species to determine the effects of passage through their gut on seed germination. Seed from 11 of 15 species germinated. Five species (Arisaema triphyllum, Podophyllum peltatum, Phytolacca americana, Prunus serotina, Vitis aestivalis) had higher germination percentages for ingested than noningested seeds. Percentage of intact seeds passing through the gut was positively correlated with seed length. Analysis of feces from wild box turtles revealed seeds of several species of fruit not previously reported. Passage through box turtle guts might positively affect seedling establishment by promoting germinability and by deposition of seeds away from the source plant. -Authors