Overwintering in the nest by hatchling map turtles (Graptemys geographica)

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 1211-1218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy D Nagle ◽  
Clayton L Lutz ◽  
Andrew L Pyle
Keyword(s):  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Natal Nest ◽  
Turtle Species ◽  
Subzero Temperatures ◽  
Central Pennsylvania ◽  
Map Turtles ◽  
Graptemys Geographica ◽  
Autumn And Winter ◽  
Rainfall Level

We monitored 75 natural nests of Graptemys geographica (Lesueur, 1817) in central Pennsylvania to determine the tactics and patterns of hatchling emergence. Following incubation, all hatchlings in 95% of nests delayed emergence from their natal nest cavities throughout autumn and winter until the following spring. Nests were constructed in a variety of substrates ranging from loose sand or coal to hard-packed clay mixed with gravel. Time from egg deposition to natural hatchling emergence averaged 333 days. During winter, hatchlings tolerated subzero temperatures as low as –8 °C, which are lethal to hatchlings of some sympatric species. Emergence occurred from 10 April to 25 May, and most hatchlings were found during morning following rain. There was an interactive effect of minimum daily air temperature and rainfall level 1 day prior to emergence on the number of hatchlings emerging each day. One half of all hatchlings found dead were contained in nests in which autumn emergence had apparently occurred. We speculate that autumn emergence by hatchlings of some turtle species may be an adaptive response to nest conditions likely to provide poor environments for successful overwintering.

Seasonality and interspecific and intraspecific asynchrony in emergence from the nest by hatchling freshwater turtles

2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (7) ◽  
pp. 451-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.J. Baker ◽  
J.P. Costanzo ◽  
J.B. Iverson ◽  
R.E. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Late Summer ◽  
Specific Pattern ◽  
Freshwater Turtles ◽  
Natal Nest ◽  
Painted Turtles ◽  
Emergence Patterns ◽  
History Of ◽  
Map Turtles ◽  
Graptemys Geographica ◽  
Species Specific

Timing of emergence from the natal nest is a variable trait in the life history of turtles. In theory, hatchling turtles that emerge synchronously, within and among nests, should gain a survival advantage over hatchlings that emerge independently. We examined emergence patterns for seven species of freshwater turtles that use a common nesting area in northern Indiana, USA. Hatchlings of four species emerged from the nest exclusively in late summer or early fall. However, hatchlings of three species usually overwintered in the nest chamber and emerged the following spring. Interspecific and intraspecific emergence from the nest was more synchronous in fall than in spring. Mean date of fall emergence from the nest did not vary among species; however, a species-specific pattern of emergence was observed in spring. Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta marginata Agassiz, 1857) emerged in late March and early April and, on average, these hatchlings left their nests 2 weeks earlier than Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica (Le Sueur, 1817)) and 4 weeks earlier than Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1839)). Although hatchlings of C. p. marginata are smaller than those of G. geographica and T. s. elegans, presumably they gain a survival or growth advantage by emerging earlier.

More sires may enhance offspring fitness in Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica)

2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (8) ◽  
pp. 581-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Banger ◽  
Gabriel Blouin-Demers ◽  
Grégory Bulté ◽  
Stephen C. Lougheed
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Conservative Estimate ◽  
Genetic Quality ◽  
Offspring Fitness ◽  
Sexual Selection Theory ◽  
Map Turtles ◽  
Graptemys Geographica

Sexual selection theory predicts that males should be promiscuous to maximize their reproductive success, while females should be choosy. Yet females of many taxa often produce progeny sired by multiple males, indicating that promiscuity can be important for the reproductive success of females. Promiscuity may enhance the fitness of females if it increases the genetic quality, or the genetic variety, and thus the viability of their offspring. We quantified the number of sires per clutch in a population of Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica (LeSueur, 1817)) in Lake Opinicon, Ontario, Canada, and tested whether the number of sires affects several metrics of viability in hatchlings. Based on the most conservative estimate, at least 71% of clutches in this population are sired by multiple males, but there was no evidence that larger clutches are sired by more males. Clutches sired by more males had higher hatching success and survival, but the differences were not statistically significant. We did not find any effect of the number of sires on hatchling morphology or locomotor performance. Collectively, our results partially support the hypothesis that promiscuity can increase the reproductive success of female Northern Map Turtles.

scholarly journals Mass mortality of Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica)

2015 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Catrysse ◽  
Emily Slavik ◽  
Jonathan Choquette ◽  
Ashley E. Leifso ◽  
Christina M. Davy
Keyword(s):  
Lake Erie ◽  
Mass Mortality ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
North Shore ◽  
The North ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Map Turtles ◽  
Graptemys Geographica

We report a mass mortality of Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica [LeSueur, 1817]) on the north shore of Lake Erie, Ontario, Canada. Thirty-five dead adult females were recovered from a nesting area over a period of four weeks. Predation and boat strikes were both excluded as potential cause of death, but the actual cause could not be determined because of the poor condition of the carcasses. Other possible explanations for the mortality include poisoning, drowning, and infection with an unidentified pathogen. Mass mortality in long-lived species, such as turtles, can have long-term effects on population growth and is a cause for concern in a species at risk.

scholarly journals Revisiting the hypothesis of sex-biased turtle road mortality

2019 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Carstairs ◽  
Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux ◽  
Christina M. Davy
Keyword(s):  
Trauma Centre ◽  
Road Mortality ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Emydoidea Blandingii ◽  
Painted Turtles ◽  
Snapping Turtles ◽  
Turtle Conservation ◽  
Map Turtles ◽  
Graptemys Geographica ◽  
Using Data

Road mortality poses a major threat to turtle populations. Several studies have suggested that the terrestrial movements associated with nesting increase this risk for females. The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC) is home to the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre, which admits 900 or more turtles a year, with road injuries the primary cause of admission. We tested the hypothesis that road mortality in turtles is female-biased using data from injured Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta marginata), Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina), Blanding’s Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii), and Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica) collected over about 126 000 km2 and admitted to OTCC’s hospital from January 2013 to October 2017. There was no difference in the number of male and female admissions of Midland Painted, Blanding’s, or Snapping Turtles (P > 0.05); however, more female Northern Map Turtles than males were admitted (P < 0.001). Admission of female turtles peaked in June during the nesting season, but male admissions were more evenly distributed throughout the season. Our admissions data provide a temporally unbiased and geographically broad snapshot of turtle–vehicle interactions that can directly inform conservation and management policies. Although our data are not equivalent to mortality rates, these results demonstrate that vehicle strikes can have a substantial impact on both female and male turtles.

Seasonal and Annual Movements of Riverine Map Turtles, Graptemys geographica

1988 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Pluto ◽  
Edward D. Bellis
Keyword(s):  
Map Turtles ◽  
Graptemys Geographica

Abnormal persistence of the chorioallantoic membrane is associated with severe developmental abnormalities in freshwater turtles

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-235
Author(s):  
Sarah V. Langer ◽  
Carolyn M. Kapron ◽  
Christina M. Davy
Keyword(s):  
Chorioallantoic Membrane ◽  
Freshwater Turtle ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Freshwater Turtles ◽  
Developmental Abnormalities ◽  
Map Turtles ◽  
Graptemys Geographica ◽  
Softshell Turtle ◽  
And Function

Development in oviparous reptiles requires the correct formation and function of extra-embryonic membranes in the egg. In 2017, we incubated 2583 eggs from five species of freshwater turtle during a long-term ecological study and opened eggs that failed to hatch. We described a previously unreported developmental anomaly: the retention of an extra-embryonic membrane around 7 turtles (1 Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera (Le Sueur, 1827)), 1 Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina (Linnaeus, 1758)), and 5 Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica (Le Sueur, 1817))) that were alive but unhatched >14 days after their clutch mates had emerged. We investigated the association between retention of this membrane and the exhibition of other developmental deformities of varying severity, and we tested whether this novel abnormality was associated with reduced fertility or hatching success in affected clutches. Consultation of ∼150 years of literature suggests that we observed persistence of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM; also called the chorioallantois). Our data suggest that clutches where at least one turtle exhibits a persistent CAM may also exhibit slightly reduced fertility or hatch success in the rest of the clutch compared with conspecific clutches that do not contain this anomaly. Future research should investigate the factors predicting CAM retention and other developmental abnormalities.

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