Roles of Diet Protein and Temperature in the Growth and Nutritional Energetics of Juvenile Slider Turtles,<i>Trachemys scripta</i>

Avery, Harold W.; Spotila, James R.; Congdon, Justin D.; Fischer, Robert U.; Standora, Edward A.; Avery, Susan B.

doi:10.1086/physzool.66.6.30163746

Cited by 85 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Consequently, we cannot determine the role of dietary nitrogen concentration in the ontogenetic dietary shift of T. scripta. However, Avery et al (1993) ex amined the role of dietary crude protein concentrations (�nitrogen concentration # 6.25) on ingestion rates in ju venile T. scripta of approximately three times the mass of the turtles used in this study. They found that, whereas crude protein concentrations alone did not have significant effects on ingestion rates, there was a significant interaction be tween crude protein content and temperature.…”

Section: Nutrient Dilution and Ontogenetic Dietary Shiftmentioning

confidence: 97%

Response to Dietary Dilution in an Omnivorous Freshwater Turtle: Implications for Ontogenetic Dietary Shifts

McCauley

Bjorndal

1999

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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Several species of freshwater turtles in the family Emydidae undergo an ontogenetic dietary shift; as juvenile turtles mature, they change from a primarily carnivorous to a primarily her bivorous diet. It has been hypothesized that this shift results from an unfavorable ratio of gut capacity to metabolic rate that prevents small reptiles from processing adequate volumes of plant material to meet their energetic demands. Effects of di etary dilution on intake were evaluated in two size classes of red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) to test whether small reptiles have a lower capacity to compensate for lowquality diets through increased intake than do larger conspe cifics. Artificial diets with an inert diluent were offered to two size classes of turtles, and mass-specific intakes of dry matter, energy, and nitrogen were calculated. Both small ( 28.7 � 4.9 g body mass, mean mass � SD) and large ( 1,230 � 94 g body mass) turtles compensated for dietary dilution and maintained constant energy and nitrogen intakes on diets with lower energy content than common aquatic plants. Thus, body size did not affect the ability to respond to nutritional dilution, which sug gests that processing limitations imposed by small body size do not constrain juveniles from adopting an herbivorous diet.

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Section: Nutrient Dilution and Ontogenetic Dietary Shiftmentioning

confidence: 97%

Response to Dietary Dilution in an Omnivorous Freshwater Turtle: Implications for Ontogenetic Dietary Shifts

McCauley

Bjorndal

1999

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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“…It is clear that lipids are the main energy source during development. However, protein catabolism may represent 17.6% of energy budget in Emydura macquarii during development (Thompson et al, 1999) and it is essential to the growth of Trachemys scripta (Avery et al, 1993). Thus, the importance of protein metabolism and amino acid oxidation of the studied species is an issue that requires further investigation.…”

Section: Gdhmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enzymes of energy metabolism in hatchlings of amazonian freshwater turtles (Testudines, Podocnemididae)

2009

Braz. J. Biol.

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The metabolic profiles of selected tissues were analyzed in hatchlings of the Amazonian freshwater turtles Podocnemis expansa, P. unifilis and P. sextuberculata. Metabolic design in these species was judged based on the key enzymes of energy metabolism, with special emphasis on carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid and ketone body metabolism. All species showed a high glycolytic potential in all sampled tissues. Based on low levels of hexokinase, glycogen may be an important fuel for these species. The high lactate dehydrogenase activity in the liver may play a significant role in carbohydrate catabolism, possibly during diving. Oxidative metabolism in P. sextuberculata appears to be designed for the use of lipids, amino acids and ketone bodies. The maximal activities of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, glutamine dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase and succinyl-CoA keto transferase display high aerobic potential, especially in muscle and liver tissues of this species. Although amino acids and ketone bodies may be important fuels for oxidative metabolism, carbohydrates and lipids are the major fuels used by P. expansa and P. unifilis. Our results are consistent with the food habits and lifestyle of Amazonian freshwater turtles. The metabolic design, based on enzyme activities, suggests that hatchlings of P. unifilis and P. expansa are predominately herbivorous, whereas P. sextuberculata rely on a mixed diet of animal matter and vegetation.Keywords: amazonian freshwater turtles, Podocnemis, energy metabolism. Enzimas do metabolismo energético em quelônios amazônicos (Testudines, Podocnemididae) recém-eclodidosResumo O perfil metabólico de vários tecidos foi analisado em quelônios aquáticos recém-eclodidos: Podocnemis expansa, P. unifilis e P. sextuberculata. O potencial metabólico dessas espécies foi avaliado por meio das atividades absolutas das enzimas do metabolismo energético com ênfase no metabolismo dos carboidratos, lipídios, aminoácidos e corpos cetônicos. Todas as espécies estudadas apresentaram alto potencial glicolítico em todos os tecidos analisados. Com base nos baixos níveis da enzima hexoquinase, as reservas de glicogênio podem ser importantes substratos energéticos para estas espécies. A alta atividade da lactato desidrogenase no fígado pode indicar que este órgão desempenha um importante papel no metabolismo dos carboidratos, possivelmente relacionado com a resistência ao mergulho prolongado. O perfil metabólico de P. sextuberculata parece organizado para utilizar preferencialmente lipídios, aminoácidos e corpos cetônicos. Os dados das atividades máximas das enzimas 3-hidroxi-acil-Co A desidrogenase, malato desidrogenase e succinil-Co A ceto-transferase, especialmente no músculo branco e no fígado dessa espécie corroboram esta hipótese. Por outro lado, os carboidratos e os lipídios parecem ser os principais substratos metabólicos de P. expansa e P. unifilis, muito embora, os corpos cetônicos e aminoácidos sejam importantes metabólitos para sustentar o potencial oxidativ...

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“…We observed a significant interaction between the effects of maternal diet and offspring diet on offspring growth rate and offspring sprint speed measured 9weeks after birth. Offspring fed a protein-rich diet and born to females fed a protein-rich diet had the fastest growth rate and sprint speed, which is not surprising considering the role of protein in growth and muscle development (Avery et al, 1993;Oftedal and Allen, 1996). Offspring born to females offered a protein-poor diet appeared to be less affected by offspring diet than offspring born to females offered a protein-rich diet, suggesting that the former group of offspring has a broader metabolic capacity, allowing them to better tolerate variation in protein availability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…Faster sprint speeds typically give offspring an advantage in terms of predator escape (Sorci and Clobert, 1997;Miles, 2004;Husak, 2006) as well as a feeding advantage (Wapstra and Swain, 1996), whereas growing faster increases survival (Madsen and Shine, 2000) and reproductive output, as well as leading to a larger size at maturity (Chamaillé-Jammes et al, 2006). Therefore, the benefits of increasing offspring fitness may have selected for maternal manipulation of offspring to fit the environmental conditions experienced during gestation (Marshall and Uller, 2007;Uller, 2008;Badyaev and Uller, 2009), especially for traits such as growth and performance that are themselves affected by nutritional conditions (Avery et al, 1993;Oftedal and Allen, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potentially adaptive effects of maternal nutrition during gestation on offspring phenotype of a viviparous reptile

Cadby

Jones

Wapstra

2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARY Viviparous reptiles have been used as model species for many studies that seek to explain the evolution of viviparity. The vast majority of such studies have focused on the advantage viviparity provides with regards to maternal control of embryonic developmental temperature. However, viviparity may also allow increased control of nutrient transfer, such that mothers adaptively manipulate offspring phenotype through varying maternal nutritional support. Because maternal nutritional transfer is temperature dependent, maternal nutritional strategies may vary between climatically distinct populations. In this study we used an orthogonal experimental design in which mothers and offspring from climatically distinct populations of a viviparous skink (Niveoscincus ocellatus) were allocated randomly to either a protein-rich or a protein-poor diet. Our results suggest that N. ocellatus mothers are able to compensate for sub-optimal nutritional conditions and can adaptively manipulate offspring phenotype to best fit the postnatal nutritional environment. Furthermore, maternal nutritional strategies appear to vary between climatically distinct populations. These results suggest that in viviparous reptiles, matrotrophy provides a means of producing an adaptive offspring phenotype, in addition to maternal control of developmental temperature.

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Roles of Diet Protein and Temperature in the Growth and Nutritional Energetics of Juvenile Slider Turtles,Trachemys scripta

Cited by 85 publications

References 22 publications

Response to Dietary Dilution in an Omnivorous Freshwater Turtle: Implications for Ontogenetic Dietary Shifts

Response to Dietary Dilution in an Omnivorous Freshwater Turtle: Implications for Ontogenetic Dietary Shifts

Enzymes of energy metabolism in hatchlings of amazonian freshwater turtles (Testudines, Podocnemididae)

Potentially adaptive effects of maternal nutrition during gestation on offspring phenotype of a viviparous reptile

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