Abstract

HERPETOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Vol. 5, pp. 305-309 (1995)

HABITAT ASSOCIATION OF THE TORTOISES GEOCHELONE PARDALIS AND KINIXYS SPEKII IN THE SENGWA WILDLIFE RESEARCH AREA, ZIMBABWE

ADRIAN HAILEY¹ AND IAN M. COULSON^2,3

^{1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zimbabwe,

P.O.Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe} ^{2Sengwa Wildlife Research Institute, Department of National

Parks and Wild Life Management, Private Bag 6002, Gokwe, Zimbabwe} ^3Deceased

There have been few studies of the mechanism of niche separation in sympatric tortoises. This paper examines the habitat association of Geochelone pardalis and Kinixys spekii at the Sengwa Wildlife Research Area, using data on 460 tortoises marked from 1982 to 1992. Tortoises were found in most of the vegetation types present. Habitat niche breadth was slightly greater in G. pardalis (B=0.48) than in K. spekii (B=0.36). There was considerable niche overlap between the two species (O=0.76), the only major difference being the greater use of riverine grassland by G. pardalis. Home range areas of individuals recaptured in several years were significantly larger in G. pardalis (mean 26 ha) than in K. spekii (mean 3.1 ha). The pattern of refuge use differed between the two species; K. spekii used burrows, and G. pardalis used thickets and felled trees.