The Thermal Biology, Water Relations, And Selected Substrate Of The Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingi)
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Authors
Eckert, Douglas H.
Issue Date
1989
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Aspects of the thermal biology, water loss rates and substrate
preference of Emydoidea blandingi were investigated. Eggs from
near the E.S. George Reserve in Livingston County, Michigan were
hatched. Hatchlings were then acclimated to 25°C for 14 d. A
hexagonal behavior arena was constructed for substrate choice
experiments. Hatchlings showed a tendency towards substrates of
clay-soil (32%) and water (25%). Thermal gradients were
constructed for selected temperature experiments. The thermal
preferendum ranged from 23°C to 34.1°C (x=27.44°C, SE=0.987) with
the animals falling into three groups of similar selected
temperatures. Water loss experiments were conducted in a wind
tunnel. Water loss (x=46.62 mg/(g h)) showed little correlation to
initial mass (r2=0.17, p=0.24) or vapor deficit (r2=0.000138, p=0.92).
Critical thermal maximum, defined as the onset of muscular spasm, occured
at 41. 7°C. These results have important implications for the
analysis of habitat use.
Description
iv, 40 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.