INTRODUCTION
When individuals display site fidelity, they may attempt to return to their home range following displacement (Ward 2013). This inherent ability by an animal to return home once displaced from a familiar site to an unfamiliar one is called homing (Avens et al. 2003) and is conceived as an aspect of home fidelity (Xiao et al. 2020). Homing behavior has fascinated biologists and lovers of nature alike over the centuries prompting investigations into the mechanisms that make this behavior possible in different animals. Site fidelity, or the tendency of animals to reutilize or return to a previously occupied area has great implication on the animal’s ability to access resources that increase their fitness and survival (Giuggioli and Bartumeus 2011). Site fidelity has been traditionally associated to territorialism and other behaviors that result in the emergence of a home range (Switzer 1993; Giuggioli et al. 2006 Borger et al. 2008). Territoriality aims at excluding conspecifics from certain areas through the use of auditory, visual or olfactory signals as well as aggressive interactions (Giuggioli et al. 2011).
Early studies on home range, homing ability, territorial behavior and migration mostly focused on birds, fishes and mammals (Cagle 1944). Over the years, however, notable advances have been made in reptiles, specifically so on site fidelity and homing in sea turtles (Endres et al. 2016). While a handful of studies have investigated on homing and site fidelity in freshwater turtles (e.g. Emlen 1969; Xiao et al. 2020), very few exist on land tortoises, mainly limited to the Herman’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni ) and the Genus Gopherus .
A notable study by Chelazzi and Francisci (1979) discovered homing behavior in Testudo hermanni. Chelazzi and Delfino (1986) further investigated on the use of olfactory cues by the species during its homing. On Gopher tortoises, Cannor (1996) studied homing in theGopherus polyphemus discovering homing ability in the species but only when displaced over relatively short distances, with higher probabilities of reaching their home range rather than their specific home burrow. More recently, Hinderle et al. (2015) investigated on the effects of homing and movement behaviors on translocation in Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii ) in the Western Mojave Desert. Such studies are important as they give insight into how the animals use their environment and thus will inform sound conservation and management strategies for the species (Passadore et al. 2017).
In light of this, we did an investigation on the homing behavior, site fidelity and territoriality of the Pancake tortoise within its natural habitats in Kitui County, Kenya. Pancake tortoise is one of the most thrilling species of land tortoises, with a unique flat morphology and soft shell (Malonza 2003) as well as distinct habitat and behavior. It inhabits rock crevices common in the typical rock outcrop and kopje dominated savannas of Kenya, Tanzania and northern Zambia (Chansa and Wagner 2006). The species is listed in CITES Appendix I and categorized as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red list of Threatened species owing to declining populations as a result of illegal collection for international trade and habitat loss. Our findings thus bring to light another ecological dimension that has not been studied before but is very necessary for successful management and conservation of the species.