| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立中興大學 === 生命科學系所 === 104 === Recent studies indicate reptiles can be a seed disperser. Environmental temperatures could affect gut retention time in ectotherms such as turtles, and in turn affect seed germination rate and dispersal distance. The omnivorous yellow-margined box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata) is a widespread forest dweller in Taiwan. This study investigated the diets of the turtle and how different temperatures affect the gut retention time and germination in five species of fruits. Seven species of seeds were found in turtle feces in Sheding and the occurrence frequency of seeds from 71 fecal samples was 56.3% with an average volume of 33%. The gut retention time of C. flavomarginata was between 9 – 111 hrs. and is reversely proportional to environmental temperatures. I tested seeds of five species eaten by C. flavomarginata, including Alocasia odora, Aglaia formosana, Bischofia javanica, Ficus microcarpa and Ficus septica. Two species did not germinate at all (Aglaia formosana and Bischofia javanica) whereas the germination rate of the other three species increased compared to control treatments as a result of deinhibition and scarification of fruits passing through the digestive system in turtles. At high temperature, the deinhibition effect decreased as the gut retention time decreased, suggesting the pulps were not completely removed with shorter retention time.
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