The winter environment of painted turtles, <i>Chrysemys picta</i>: temperature, dissolved oxygen, and potential cues for emergence

Crawford, Kenneth M.

doi:10.1139/z91-352

Cited by 28 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This timeframe is consistent with other studies in the piedmont of North Carolina (Pittman and Dorcas, 2009), and New Jersey and Pennsylvania (Ernst et al, 1989). The specific environmental cues stimulating entrance into or exit from hibernation in turtles remain unknown, but possible triggers include temperature, decreased food availability, photoperiod, or circannual rhythms (Gregory, 1982;Ultsch, 1989;Crawford, 1991). Ultsch (1989) has eliminated circannual rhythms as a trigger because emergence and entrance times are subject to weather which is highly variable.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Hibernation Ecology of an Isolated Population of Bog Turtles,Glyptemys muhlenbergii

Smith¹,

Cherry²

2016

Copeia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Information on the hibernation ecology of Bog Turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) throughout their range is limited. Few studies have identified suitable hibernacula or documented behavior during hibernation including site fidelity, communal hibernation, and entrance and emergence times. Our study presents long-term documentation of hibernation in a relatively understudied portion of the species' range. From fall 2005 to spring 2014, we observed the hibernation of 13 marked turtles in an isolated population located in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. During the course of our study, nine turtles were radio-tracked for 1-5 y. Turtles spent about six months in hibernation, usually entering the hibernaculum in late September into October and emerging in mid-April. Using radiotelemetry, we identified 11 hibernacula of three types: root masses of trees/shrubs, root masses of cinnamon ferns (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), and sedge (Carex stricta) clumps. Site fidelity and communal use were common in our study. Ten turtles located in multiple winters repeated their use of a hibernaculum in at least two of those winters. Twelve turtles hibernated communally in at least one year. No mortality was observed at the hibernacula. Our study demonstrates the importance of root masses with soft deep substrate for survival in long, harsh winter conditions. Bog Turtles spend about half of every year, and therefore half of their lives, in hibernation, making the identification and protection of suitable habitat for hibernation imperative for successful management to ensure the long-term viability of the species.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Hibernation Ecology of an Isolated Population of Bog Turtles,Glyptemys muhlenbergii

Smith¹,

Cherry²

2016

Copeia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Water within overwintering sites used by C. picta (e.g., Taylor and Nol 1989;St. Clair and Gregory 1990;Crawford 1991), a species that hibernates at the bottom of permanent ponds and marshes, had relatively higher DO concentrations in late autumn (10 ppm in November) and these concentrations were maintained into December (6-12 ppm). In one study, DO approached our low values in January only after ice covered hibernation ponds (2.6 ppm; Taylor and Nol 1989).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenology and ecology of hibernation in spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata) near the northern limit of their range

Litzgus¹,

Costanzo²,

Brooks³

et al. 1999

Can. J. Zool.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Using mark-recapture techniques, temperature-sensitive radio transmitters, and miniature temperature data loggers we investigated the hibernation ecology of northern temperate zone spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata) in Georgian Bay, Ontario, over 4 winters (1993-1997). We observed 18 hibernacula that were occupied by 34 turtles; 11 hibernacula were apparently occupied by single turtles, and 7 were used communally by up to 9 individuals. Hibernacula were located in swamps and were of 2 types: sphagnum moss hummock (n = 15) and rock cavern (n = 3). Almost half of the individuals (16 of 34) used the same hibernaculum in at least 2 winters. Turtles entered hibernacula between mid-September and October, when their body temperature was between 12 and 16°C, and exited them in mid to late April, when ambient temperatures ranged between 1 and 5°C. A waterproof temperature data logger attached to a turtle indicated that this turtle was protected from freezing in a thermally stable hibernaculum (body temperature range 0.3-3.9°C) despite highly variable (a 37°C change over 5 days) and low air temperatures (minimum -35°C). Loss of body mass (2%) during hibernation was not significant. We observed no mortality within hibernacula over the 4 winters; however, 3 turtles were destroyed by predators near the hibernacula. These data provide insight into the role of climate in limiting the northern distribution of this species.

show abstract

“…2; Reese et al, 2004 a). However, painted turtles often inhabit ponds that may become hypoxic, or even anoxic, during winter (Crawford, 1991). Overwintering under ice in such an environment, or buried in mud, which is anoxic, requires adaptations to prolonged shortfalls or lack of oxygen.…”

Section: Aquatic Turtles -Species Known or Suspected To Be Anoxia-mentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecology of overwintering among turtles: where turtles overwinter and its consequences

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Turtles are a small taxon that has nevertheless attracted much attention from biologists for centuries. However, a major portion of their life cycle has received relatively little attention until recently - namely what turtles are doing, and how they are doing it, during the winter. In the northern parts of their ranges in North America, turtles may spend more than half of their lives in an overwintering state. In this review, I emphasise the ecological aspects of overwintering among turtles, and consider how overwintering stresses affect the physiology, behaviour, distributions, and life histories of various species. Sea turtles are the only group of turtles that migrate extensively, and can therefore avoid northern winters. Nevertheless, each year a number of turtles, largely juveniles, are killed when trapped by cold fronts before they move to safer waters. Evidently this risk is an acceptable trade-off for the benefits to a population of inhabiting northern developmental habitats during the summer. Terrestrial turtles pass the winter underground, either in burrows that they excavate or that are preformed. These refugia must provide protection against desiccation and lethal freezing levels. Some burrows are extensive (tortoise genus Gopherus), while others are shallow, or the turtles may simply dig into the ground to a safe depth (turtle genus Terrapene). In the latter genus, freeze tolerance may play an adaptive role. Most non-marine aquatic turtles overwinter underwater, although Clemmys (Actinemys) marmorata routinely overwinters on land when it occurs in riverine habitats, Kinosternon subrubrum often overwinters on land, and several others may overwinter terrestrially on occasion, especially in more southern climates. For northern species that overwinter underwater, there are two physiological groupings, those that are anoxia-tolerant and those that are relatively anoxia-intolerant. All species fare well physiologically in water with a high partial pressure of oxygen (PO2). A lack of anoxia tolerance limits the types of habitats that a freshwater turtle may live in, since unlike sea turtles, they cannot travel long distances to hibernate. Hatchlings of some species of turtles spend their first winter in or below the nest cavity, while hatchlings of other species in the same area, including northern areas, emerge in the autumn and presumably hibernate underwater. All hatchlings are relatively anoxia-intolerant, and there are no studies to date of where hatchling turtles that do not overwinter in or below the nest cavity spend their first winter. Equally little is known of the ontogeny of anoxia tolerance, other than that adults of all species are more anoxia-tolerant than their hatchlings, probably because of their better ossified shells, which provide adults with more buffer reserves and a larger site in which to sequester lactate. The northern limits of turtles are most likely determined by reproductive limitations (time for egg-laying, incubation, and hatching) than by the rigors of hibernation. Mortalit...

show abstract

The winter environment of painted turtles, Chrysemys picta: temperature, dissolved oxygen, and potential cues for emergence

Cited by 28 publications

References 0 publications

Hibernation Ecology of an Isolated Population of Bog Turtles,Glyptemys muhlenbergii

Hibernation Ecology of an Isolated Population of Bog Turtles,Glyptemys muhlenbergii

Phenology and ecology of hibernation in spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata) near the northern limit of their range

The ecology of overwintering among turtles: where turtles overwinter and its consequences

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About