HABITAT ASSOCIATION OF THE TORTOISES GEOCHELONE PARDALIS AND KINIXYS SPEKII IN THE SENGWA-WILDLIFE-RESEARCH-AREA, ZIMBABWE

There have been few studies of the mechanism of niche separation in sy mpatric tortoises. This paper examines the habitat association of Geoc helone pardalis and Kinixys spekii at the Sengwa Wildlife Research Are a, using data on 460 tortoises marked from 1982 to 1992. Tortoises wer e found in most of the vegetation types present. Habitat niche breadth was slightly greater in G, pardalis (B=0.48) than in K. spekii (B=0.3 6). There was considerable niche overlap between the two species (O=0. 76), the only major difference being the greater use of riverine grass land by G. pardalis. Home range areas of individuals recaptured in sev eral years were significantly larger in G. pardalis (mean 26 ha) than in K. spekii (mean 3.1 ha). The pattern of refuge use differed between the two species; K. spekii used burrows, and G. pardalis used thicket s and felled trees.