Temporal and spatial variation in landscape connectivity for a freshwater turtle in a temporally dynamic wetland system.

Inter-wetland connectivity, defined here as the movement of biota among discrete water bodies, can have important population- and community-level consequences in aquatic systems. We examined inter-wetland connectivity in a southeastern Australian national park by intensively monitoring the movements of freshwater turtles (Chelodina longicollis) via capture-mark-recapture over a three-year period, and more sporadically for 25 years. A high percentage (33%) of turtles moved between wetlands, suggesting that single wetlands should not represent the minimum habitat unit harboring a C.