Foerageerobservaties van een exotische geelbuikschildpad in natuurgebied 't Hurkske, Gemeente Veghel

Foraging behaviour of a yellow-bellied slider A short term study on the diet and foraging behaviour of an adult female yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) was performed in July and August of 2017. The specimen was found by chance in a pond in nature area ‘t Hurkske (Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands). A total of 23 foraging events could be registered with a 21.8% average foraging success rate. Targeted prey consisted mainly (87%) of edible frogs (Pelophylax kl. esculenta), supplemented by emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) (8.7%) and broadleaf pondweed (Potamogeton natans) (4.3%). Although the actual ingestion of food items could only be observed with plant material, several edible frogs were found wounded with e.g. a leg missing or intestines hanging outside the body. In one of these cases it was witnessed that the specific wounded frog had been caught by the turtle. The turtle was clearly triggered by prey movements in the water. Since some amphibian larvae have proven to be incapable of recognizing chemical cues of exotic predatory species such as turtles, this may result in unnatural mortalities. The turtle has been removed from the pond after our research and placed in an animal sanctuary.