Article
Physiology
P. L. Colbert, R. -j. Spencer, F. J. Janzen
Summary: Synchronous hatching and emergence of turtles from nests may help them avoid predators during dispersal. However, the effects of such synchrony on their phenotype and the general role of predator avoidance in driving the evolution of this trait are still poorly understood. Through experimental assessment, this study found that accelerating embryonic development had no significant impact on hatching success, winter survival, and terrestrial dispersal of turtles. These findings suggest that the lack of fitness costs associated with hatching synchrony supports its origin as a predator avoidance trait retained in C. picta and other derived turtles via phylogenetic inertia.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Rachel M. Goodman, Henry R. Carman, R. Paul Mahaffy, Nathan S. Cabrera
Summary: This study surveyed two species of aquatic turtles in a Virginia site and found trace amounts of ranavirus DNA in Common Musk Turtles. The virus was not detected in Eastern Painted Turtles. The study suggests a significant drop in ranavirus quantity compared to previous research conducted over a decade ago. The findings contribute to the limited literature on longitudinal surveys of ranavirus in wild chelonians and highlight the importance of large sample sizes and multi-year sampling to detect this pathogen in wild populations.
Article
Ecology
Joel L. Mota, Donald J. Brown, Danielle M. Canning, Sara M. Crayton, Darien N. Lozon, Alissa L. Gulette, James T. Anderson, Ivana Mali, Brian E. Dickerson, Michael R. J. Forstner, Mark B. Watson, Thomas K. Pauley
Summary: The study found that reduced ecological integrity benefits both painted turtles and red-eared sliders at the population level, but has a larger impact on individual habitat quality for painted turtles. This differing response between the two habitat generalists may partially explain why red-eared sliders have become a widespread exotic invasive species while painted turtles have not.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Allyson N. Beard, Larkin A. Powell
Summary: Aquatic habitats in the Great Plains of North America are at increased risk of droughts, which can impact the population dynamics of pond turtles. A 12-year study of painted turtles in a pond in Nebraska revealed that population size did not vary with drought conditions, but annual survival was reduced during drought years. Temporary emigration accounted for approximately one-fifth of the population. Long-term research provides insights into the challenges faced by turtles in aquatic habitats undergoing prolonged climate changes.
Article
Ecology
David M. Delaney, Luke A. Hoekstra, Fredric J. Janzen
Summary: This study on painted turtles' nesting ecology indicates that while RRV is high in early life and slowly decreases, age is a better predictor of risky behavior, possibly due to stronger correlates of age such as size influencing behavior in turtles.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2021)
Article
Biology
Santiago Cuartas-Villa, Jonathan K. Webb
Summary: The study found significant interpopulation differences in canopy cover and solar radiation loads above nest sites, with nests in Morton being more open and receiving higher radiation loads compared to those in Yengo. While mean nest temperatures were similar in both populations, nests in Yengo experienced higher daily temperatures. During heatwaves, temperatures in some nests exceeded the species critical thermal maximum for several hours each day.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicholas E. Topping, Nicole Valenzuela
Summary: A study on painted turtles found no significant differences in circulating hormone levels in adult females exposed to different environmental temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius and 21 degrees Celsius. This suggests that female turtles may be buffered against the indirect risk of climate change through maternal hormone allocation, but further research is needed using other temperatures during the spring.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Luis Angel Tello-Sahagun, Cesar P. Ley-Quinonez, F. Alberto Abreu-Grobois, Jonathan R. Monsinjon, Alan A. Zavala-Norzagaray, Marc Girondot, Catherine E. Hart
Summary: Reproductive seasonality is common across species and phyla, even in tropical regions. Environmental cues and features play a role in species seasonality, affecting reproductive success and primary sex ratios. This study focused on the olive ridley sea turtle and compared the effects of nesting during peak and low nesting seasons. The findings showed that nests incubated during the dry-low season had better hatchling success, mainly produced male offspring with greater locomotor abilities, highlighting the importance of protecting nests outside of peak nesting season for population viability and adaptation to climate change.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jessica Gravelle, Jeanette Wyneken
Summary: The success of sea turtle nest hatching is closely related to environmental conditions, but the understanding of the combination of multiple factors leading to successful nests is still limited. By analyzing historic nest data and using local expert knowledge, this study identified five historically successful loggerhead nesting beaches. The study found that nest environments differ among these beaches, and can be broadly categorized into subtropical and warm-temperate climates. The location of the nests also varies with climate type. These findings provide important insights for the management of sea turtle nesting habitats.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Leigh Anne Harden, Stephen R. Midway, J. Whitfield Gibbons
Summary: The study found that growth rate of Diamondback Terrapins is influenced by various factors, with differences in growth patterns and coefficients between sexes. There is high growth variability among individuals, and site significantly affects male growth but not female growth.
JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Emily C. Vincent, Melissa A. Fayette, John A. Griffioen, Garet Litwiler, Laura Adamovicz, Emilie Ospina, Matthew C. Allender
Summary: Freshwater turtles, particularly the painted turtles, in the restored wetland habitats of Kankakee Sands in Indiana, USA, were assessed for their overall health status and screened for infectious diseases. Adenovirus and herpesvirus were detected in some turtles, while Mycoplasmopsis spp. and frog virus 3 were not found. Female and male turtles showed differences in their blood parameters. The baseline data obtained from this study can be used for future research on freshwater turtle health in restored wetland habitats.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Zoology
S. J. Kell, N. Rollinson, R. J. Brooks, J. D. Litzgus
Summary: Research on Painted Turtles in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada, revealed that nesting in aggregations is likely due to attraction among conspecifics rather than the need for suitable habitat. While the nests were spatially clustered, individual nest-site selection was only influenced to a small extent by microhabitat characteristics. Survival rates of clustered and solitary nests did not differ significantly, suggesting that clustering is not directly related to nest survival. Instead, female turtles tended to choose nest sites with a higher density of other turtle models. This behavior may be a strategy to save time and energy spent on nest site selection and avoid potential risks on land.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Alexander D. Roth, Aaron R. Krochmal, Timothy C. Roth
Summary: This study explores how prior experience and novel stimuli influence decision-making in Eastern painted turtles. Results show that turtles tend to avoid bright light and choose the side associated with a food reward, even when light intensity is the same on both sides. The turtles in the study exhibit a preference for blue light and an avoidance of yellow light, consistent with previous research in sea turtles.
Article
Oceanography
Isabella Reboul, David Booth, Uzair Rusli
Summary: The study found that shading can effectively reduce temperature during green turtle incubation, but different shading methods have little impact on hatching success rate and hatchling sex ratio. It is recommended to relocate nests at high risk of damage to natural tree shade to ensure at least some male hatchling production.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Sue J. Carstairs, Christopher J. Dutton, Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux
Summary: Between 2011 and 2020, the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre's veterinary hospital admitted a total of 6,335 turtles, among which 3,246 were midland painted turtles. Aural abscesses were found in 26 of the admitted midland painted turtles (0.8%). This condition was exclusively observed in adult turtles and not in any other species. The abscesses did not have a negative impact on the overall health of the turtles, and all turtles with abscesses as the sole cause for admission were successfully treated and released.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Sarin Tiatragul, Joshua M. Hall, Nathaniel G. Pavlik, Daniel A. Warner
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2019)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Fredric J. Janzen, David M. Delaney, Timothy S. Mitchell, Daniel A. Warner
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2019)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jenna E. Pruett, Elizabeth A. Addis, Daniel A. Warner
Article
Ecology
Anna L. Carter, Brooke L. Bodensteiner, John B. Iverson, Carrie L. Milne-Zelman, Timothy S. Mitchell, Jeanine M. Refsnider, Daniel A. Warner, Fredric J. Janzen
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Matthew C. Kustra, Ariel F. Kahrl, Aaron M. Reedy, Daniel A. Warner, Robert M. Cox
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Austin C. Hulbert, Joshua M. Hall, Timothy S. Mitchell, Daniel A. Warner
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2020)
Article
Biology
Alex R. Gunderson, Amelie Fargevieille, Daniel A. Warner
Article
Ecology
Joshua M. Hall, Timothy S. Mitchell, Christopher J. Thawley, James T. Stroud, Daniel A. Warner
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Physiology
Daniel A. Warner, Timothy S. Mitchell, Brooke L. Bodensteiner, Fredric J. Janzen
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ZOOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jenna E. Pruett, Amelie Fargevieille, Daniel A. Warner
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ariel L. Steele, Daniel A. Warner
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2020)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Allison Dees, Kayla Wilson, Chanel Reali, Jenna E. Pruett, Joshua M. Hall, Renata Brandt, Daniel A. Warner
Article
Zoology
Joshua M. Hall, Daniel A. Warner
Summary: The study found that high temperatures pose a lethal threat to embryos of brown anoles, with immediate and cumulative effects significantly impacting development and survival rates.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Andrew DeSana, Amelie Fargevieille, Daniel A. Warner
EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Robin B. Lloyd, Daniel A. Warner