Trophic Resource Use by Sympatric vs. Allopatric Pelomedusid Turtles in West African Forest Waterbodies
Organisms that are similar in size, morphological characteristics, and adaptations, including vertebrates, often coexist by partitioning the available resources (food, space, and time). So, studies of the dynamics of these cases of coexistence are scientifically interesting. Here, we study a coexist...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-07-01
|
| Series: | Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/8/1054 |
| _version_ | 1797435999984287744 |
|---|---|
| author | Fabio Petrozzi Sery Gonedele Bi Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto Nic Pacini Julia E. Fa Luca Luiselli |
| author_facet | Fabio Petrozzi Sery Gonedele Bi Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto Nic Pacini Julia E. Fa Luca Luiselli |
| author_sort | Fabio Petrozzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Organisms that are similar in size, morphological characteristics, and adaptations, including vertebrates, often coexist by partitioning the available resources (food, space, and time). So, studies of the dynamics of these cases of coexistence are scientifically interesting. Here, we study a coexistence case of two species of freshwater turtles inhabiting the forest waterbodies of West Africa, focusing on the dietary habits of the two species. We found that both turtle species are omnivorous generalists, eating both vegetal and animal matter abundantly. However, there were clear interspecific differences, with the larger of the two species (<i>P. cupulatta</i>) eating more vertebrates (mainly fish but occasionally other vertebrates), whereas <i>P. castaneus</i> consumed more invertebrates. These patterns appeared consistently within the species and across sites, highlighting that the same patterns were likely in other conspecific populations from the Upper Guinean forest streams (Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia). Our study also showed that interspecific competition for food does not occur between these two species; instead, previous studies uncovered that a clear partitioning of the habitat niche occurs. We conclude that the food resource is likely unlimited in the study areas, as it is not the case in more arid environments (since food shortages may occur during the dry season). We anticipate that, within the Pelomedusidae communities throughout Africa, intense competition for food probably occurs in the Sahel and Sudanian vegetation zones, particularly during the dry months, but is unlikely within the Guinea and wet savannah region and even less likely in the Guineo-Congolian rainforest region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:56:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7f284704ca3e45c18497ae702fc16366 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:56:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f284704ca3e45c18497ae702fc163662023-12-01T01:37:49ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372023-07-01128105410.3390/biology12081054Trophic Resource Use by Sympatric vs. Allopatric Pelomedusid Turtles in West African Forest WaterbodiesFabio Petrozzi0Sery Gonedele Bi1Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto2Nic Pacini3Julia E. Fa4Luca Luiselli5Ecolobby, via Edoardo Jenner 70, I-00151 Rome, ItalyLaboratoire de Biotechnologie, Agriculture et Valorisation des Ressources Biologiques, UFR Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouet Boigny d’Abidjan-Cocody, Abidjan 22 BP 582, Côte d’IvoireLaboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lomé, Lomé 01BP1515, TogoDepartment of Environmental Engineering, University of Calabria, I-87036 Arcavacata di Rende, ItalyDepartment of Natural Sciences, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5QA, UKLaboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lomé, Lomé 01BP1515, TogoOrganisms that are similar in size, morphological characteristics, and adaptations, including vertebrates, often coexist by partitioning the available resources (food, space, and time). So, studies of the dynamics of these cases of coexistence are scientifically interesting. Here, we study a coexistence case of two species of freshwater turtles inhabiting the forest waterbodies of West Africa, focusing on the dietary habits of the two species. We found that both turtle species are omnivorous generalists, eating both vegetal and animal matter abundantly. However, there were clear interspecific differences, with the larger of the two species (<i>P. cupulatta</i>) eating more vertebrates (mainly fish but occasionally other vertebrates), whereas <i>P. castaneus</i> consumed more invertebrates. These patterns appeared consistently within the species and across sites, highlighting that the same patterns were likely in other conspecific populations from the Upper Guinean forest streams (Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia). Our study also showed that interspecific competition for food does not occur between these two species; instead, previous studies uncovered that a clear partitioning of the habitat niche occurs. We conclude that the food resource is likely unlimited in the study areas, as it is not the case in more arid environments (since food shortages may occur during the dry season). We anticipate that, within the Pelomedusidae communities throughout Africa, intense competition for food probably occurs in the Sahel and Sudanian vegetation zones, particularly during the dry months, but is unlikely within the Guinea and wet savannah region and even less likely in the Guineo-Congolian rainforest region.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/8/1054freshwater turtles<i>Pelusios</i>coesxistencetropical Africa |
| spellingShingle | Fabio Petrozzi Sery Gonedele Bi Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto Nic Pacini Julia E. Fa Luca Luiselli Trophic Resource Use by Sympatric vs. Allopatric Pelomedusid Turtles in West African Forest Waterbodies Biology freshwater turtles <i>Pelusios</i> coesxistence tropical Africa |
| title | Trophic Resource Use by Sympatric vs. Allopatric Pelomedusid Turtles in West African Forest Waterbodies |
| title_full | Trophic Resource Use by Sympatric vs. Allopatric Pelomedusid Turtles in West African Forest Waterbodies |
| title_fullStr | Trophic Resource Use by Sympatric vs. Allopatric Pelomedusid Turtles in West African Forest Waterbodies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trophic Resource Use by Sympatric vs. Allopatric Pelomedusid Turtles in West African Forest Waterbodies |
| title_short | Trophic Resource Use by Sympatric vs. Allopatric Pelomedusid Turtles in West African Forest Waterbodies |
| title_sort | trophic resource use by sympatric vs allopatric pelomedusid turtles in west african forest waterbodies |
| topic | freshwater turtles <i>Pelusios</i> coesxistence tropical Africa |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/8/1054 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fabiopetrozzi trophicresourceusebysympatricvsallopatricpelomedusidturtlesinwestafricanforestwaterbodies AT serygonedelebi trophicresourceusebysympatricvsallopatricpelomedusidturtlesinwestafricanforestwaterbodies AT gabrielhoinsoudesegniagbeto trophicresourceusebysympatricvsallopatricpelomedusidturtlesinwestafricanforestwaterbodies AT nicpacini trophicresourceusebysympatricvsallopatricpelomedusidturtlesinwestafricanforestwaterbodies AT juliaefa trophicresourceusebysympatricvsallopatricpelomedusidturtlesinwestafricanforestwaterbodies AT lucaluiselli trophicresourceusebysympatricvsallopatricpelomedusidturtlesinwestafricanforestwaterbodies |