Carapacial Scute Variation in Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas Hatchlings in Northern Cyprus
The carapacial scutes of 718 green turtle hatchlings, Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758), from 2 different nesting beaches in Northern Cyprus were examined. Scutes were examined with regard to variation within carapacial scute series and variation in carapacial scute pattern. The vertebral, costal and marginal series were the most variable and the supracaudal scutes were almost stable for the hatchlings. The most common scute pattern observed was 11 pairs of marginals, 4 pairs of costals, 5 vertebrals, 2 supracaudals and a single nuchal. The straight carapace length (SCL) of the hatchlings ranged from 39 to 51 mm with a weight that varied between 13 and 26 g. Negative allometric growth was reported between straight carapace length and weight.
Carapacial Scute Variation in Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas Hatchlings in Northern Cyprus
The carapacial scutes of 718 green turtle hatchlings, Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758), from 2 different nesting beaches in Northern Cyprus were examined. Scutes were examined with regard to variation within carapacial scute series and variation in carapacial scute pattern. The vertebral, costal and marginal series were the most variable and the supracaudal scutes were almost stable for the hatchlings. The most common scute pattern observed was 11 pairs of marginals, 4 pairs of costals, 5 vertebrals, 2 supracaudals and a single nuchal. The straight carapace length (SCL) of the hatchlings ranged from 39 to 51 mm with a weight that varied between 13 and 26 g. Negative allometric growth was reported between straight carapace length and weight.
___
- Boulon, R.H. Jr. 1999. Reducing threats to eggs and hatchlings: in situ protection. In: Research and Management Techniques for the Conservation of Sea Turtles (ed. K.L. Eckert, K.A. Bjorndal, F.A. Abreu-Grobois, and M. Donelly), IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group, Publ. No. 4, pp. 169-174.
- Carretero-Montes, R.E. and Trejo-Robles, J.A. 2000. Hatching and emergence of Lepidochelys olivacea from protected and unprotected nests in La Gloria (Playón de Mismaloya), Jalisco, México: 1991-1994. In: Proceedings of the 8thInternational sea turtle symposium (Eds. F.A. Abreu-Grobois, R. Brise ˘no -Due˘nas, R. Márquez and L. Sarti) NOAA Tech Memo NMFS 436: 1-184.
- Deraniyagala, P.E.P. 1939. The tetrapod reptiles of Ceylon, I. Testudinates and Crocodilians. Colombo Museum, Colombo, Ceylon.
- Ewert, M.A. 1979. The embryo and its egg: development and natural history, In: Turtles: Perspectives and Research (ed. M. Harless and H. Morlock), New York, pp. 333–413.
- Gadow, H. 1899. Orthogenetic variation in the shells of Chelonia. In: Zoological results based on material from New Britain, New Guinea, Loyalty islands and elsewhere, collected during the years 1895, 1896, and 1897 (ed. A. Willey), part 3. p. 207-222.
- Hewavisenthi, S. and Kotagama, S.W. 1989. Carapace scute variation in Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) hatchlings from a Turtle Hatchery in Sri Lanka. Proceedings Sri Lanka Assoc. Adumt. Sci. 45: 75–76.
- Hildebrend, S.F. 1930. Duplicity and other abnormalities in diamond- back terrapins. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 46: 41–53.
- Hildebrend, S.F. 1938. Twinning in Turtles. Journal of Heredity 29: 243–253.
- Hill, R.L. 1971. Surinam turtle notes- 1. Polymorphism of costal and vertebral laminae in the sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea. Stichting Natuurbehoud Suriname (Stinasu), Mededelingen 2: 1–9.
- Limpus, C.J., Baker, V. and Miller, J.D. 1979. Movement induced mortality of loggerhead eggs. Herpetologica 35: 335–338.
- Mast, B.R. and Carr, J.L. 1989. Carapacial scute variation in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) hatchlings and juveniles. In: Proceeding of the First International Symposium on Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Biology. Conservation and Management. Texas A & M University Sea Grant College Program Galveston, p. 202- 219.
- Newman, H.H. 1906. The significance of scute and plate ‘abnormalities’ in Chelonia. Biological Bulletin 10: 68–114.
- Parker, G.H. 1901. Correlated abnormalities in the scutes any bony plates of the carapace of the sculptured tortoise. American Naturalist 35: 17–24.
- Seaturtle.org. Maptool. 2002. SEATURTLE.ORG, Inc. http://www.seaturtle.org/maptool
- Suganuma, H., Horikoshi, K. and Tachikawa, H. 1994. Scute deviation of green turtle hatchlings from a hatchery in Ogasawara Islands, Japan. In Proceedings of the Fourteenth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, p. 148. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-351.
- Türkozan, O., Ilgaz, Ç. and Sak, S. 2001. Carapacial scute variation in loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta. Zoology in the Middle East. 24:137-142
- Yntema, C.L. 1976. Effects of incubation temperatures on sexual differentiation in hatchling loggerhead (Caretta caretta) incubated at different controlled temperatures. Herpetologica 36: 33–36.
- Yntema, C.L. and Mrosovsky, N. 1980. Sexual differentiation in hatchling loggerhead (Caretta caretta) incubated at different controlled temperatures. Herpetologica, 36: 33-36.
- Yntema, C.L. and Mrosovsky, N. 1982. Critical periods and pivotal temperatures for sexual differentiation in loggerhead sea turtles. Canadian Journal of Zoology 60: 1012–1016.
- Zangerl, R. 1969. The turtle shell, In: Biology of Reptilia. (ed. C. Gans), Volume 1: Morphology. London, pp. 311–339.
- Zangerl, R and Johnson, R.G. 1957. The nature of shield abnormalities in the turtle shell. – Fieldiana, Geology, 341–362.