BULLETIN FLORIDA MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 38 PT. 1(4)


Table 2. Sandhill sites surveyed for tortoise burrows following prescription bums on the Ordway Preserve.
Putnam County, Florida.

 Location Survey Date

 New Life Acres Sandhill (NLA) 3/85
 Smith Lake Homestead Sandhill (SL) 3/85
 Blue Pond Sandhill (west) (BPW) 5/85
 Blue Pond Sandhill (east) (BPE) 5/85
 Fox Pond Sandhill (FP) 10/86
 South Rowan Sandhill (SR) 5/87
 Anderson Cue Sandhill (AC) 5/89
 Control Area (barn) (CA) 5/91
 Wall Cemetery Sandhill (WC) 3/85; 5/88; 5/91



were in this habitat. Burrows of adult tortoises were checked for nests. In 1989 and
1990, active and inactive burrows were checked for eggs, whereas in 1991, active,
inactive and old burrows were checked. The same sites were checked each year and
an equal number of active and inactive burrows were checked in 1990 and 1991.
 Number of eggs, depth from the soil surface to the uppermost egg, distance
from the burrow entrance (measured from the point perpendicular to the burrow's
upper lip) to the center of the nest, placement of the eggs (layered, tiered, or in one
plane), and approximate nest dimensions were recorded at all nest sites. Nests were
re-buried and cages were placed over the nests to protect the eggs from predators.
Nest cages, following the design of D. R. Jackson (Florida Natural Areas
Inventory, Tallahassee), were constructed from 0.64 cm mesh hardware cloth
roughly 40 cm square and 12 cm tall. Flaps of hardware cloth were folded out,
parallel to the ground and buried to discourage predators from digging under the
cage. Cages were anchored with metal stakes at the four corners and along the
sides.
 In mid-August, nests were checked daily for emerging hatchlings. The
incubation period was calculated at nests where the deposition date was known
(from daily radio-tracking of gravid females). Straight-line CL, PL and wet body
mass of hatchlings were recorded. In 1990, hatchlings were measured after they
had emerged from the nest chamber; however, in 1991, some nests were excavated
and measurements were taken immediately after hatching.